Veterans Gagan Narang and Jitu Rai, and upcoming Mehuli Ghosh were the notable absentees in the Indian shooting squad for the upcoming Asian Games, while Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar made his way back into the squad for the World Championships.
Narang, however, has been picked for the ISSF World Championships to be held in Korea, where a country can field three shooters, while Rai has missed the slot for the first Tokyo Olympic quota event as well.
The Asian Games squad has a number of new faces, with only two places available in each category.
Here’s a look at the squads:
Rifle
Asian Games
Ravi Kumar and Deepak Kumar made the two-member men’s air rifle team, while the 3-position team includes Sanjeev Rajput and Akhil Sheoran. Narang, the London Olympics bronze medallist has won a total of five medals at the Asian Games in 2006 and 2010, including silver in air rifle in 2010.
In the women’s air rifle squad, Apurvi Chandela and Junior World Cup gold medallist Elavenil Valarivan will compete in 10m air rifle while Anjum Moudgil and Gaayathri N were picked for 3-position.
Ravi Kumar and Apurvi Chandela will shoot in the air rifle mixed team event.
World Championship
The team for the World Championships wears a slightly different look with Narang (prone and air rifle), Chain Singh (prone), and Swapnil Kusale (3 positions) also added to the list. In the women’s team, Tejaswini Sawant (prone), Shreya Saksena (3 positions and prone), Mehuli Ghosh (air rifle) added. Elavenil will miss the World Championship bus, while Moudgil will represent India in all 3 categories.
Ravi and Chandela along with Deepak and Ghosh will shoot in the air rifle mixed team event.
Pistol
Asian Games
Abhishek Verma and Saurabh Chaudhary (air pistol), and Shivam Shukla and Anish Bhanwala (rapid fire pistol), make up the men’s pistol team. The experienced Heena Sidhu and Manu Bhaker will represent India in the women’s air pistol, while Rahi Sarnobat and Bhaker will also take part in the sports pistol event. Abhishek and Bhaker will form the mixed team.
Bhaker, Chaudhary are coming off medals runs at the recently concluded ISSF junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. Rai, who opened India’s account in the 2014 Incheon Games with a gold on the first day, missed out after a poor run of form
World Championship
Shahzar Rizvi and Om Prakash Mitharval will join Abhishek Verma in air pistol, while teenager Saurabh Chaudhary misses out in the senior squad. Gurpreet Singh, Vijay Kumar and Amanpreet Singh will form the standard pistol squad. Gurpreet is also added to the rapid fire pistol team along with Shukla and Bhanwala.
In the women, Shweta Singh is added to the sports pistol squad with Bhaker and Sidhu while Sarnobat, Bhaker and Sidhu form the sport pistol squad.
Abhishek and Bhaker will form the mixed team in Korea as well, along with Rizvi and Sidhu.
Shotgun
Asian Games
Ankur Mittal will play his final few competitions in double trap, before shifting to trap to focus on the Olympics. He will be joined by Shradul Vihaan. The men’s trap team will feature Lakshay and Manavjit Singh Sandhu, with Sheeraz Sheikh and Angadwir Bajwa in skeet.
In the women’s team, Shreyasi Singh, and Seema Tomar will compete in trap, Ganemat Sekhon, and Rashmmi Rathore in skeet and Shreyasi Singh and Varsha Varman in double trap.
The trap mixed team will comprise Lakshay and Shreyasi.
World Championship
Zoravar Singh Sandhu joins the trap team, while Mohammad Abas will be the third member of the double trap squad. The trap women team will field Varsha Varman, Shreyasi Singh, and Seema Tomar.
Lakshay and Shreyasi, Manavjit and Seema will be the twp mixed teams.
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