When Karni Singh, or Maharaja Karni Singh, was serving in the Second World War, little did the international skeet champion of his time know that the sport would become India’s biggest medal hope in the 21st Century Olympics.

That India’s first ever individual Olympic gold would come via Abhinav Bindra’s rifle at the 2008 Olympics was a surprise of an even higher order. His event, the 10 metre Air Rifle, was never in the scheme of things for India at a time there was much hand-wringing over the fact that the 25 metre Centre Fire Pistol was not an Olympic event. That was in the 1990s, when India's only ace shooter was Jaspal Rana, a star of the 25 m CFP.

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Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore trapped a silver in Athens to break the shackles before the watershed moment of Bindra’s gold in 2008. Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar’s bronze and silver, respectively, at London 2012 kept India in business.

Armed forces

Rio 2016 will be the last time India’s only individual gold medal-winner so far will be at the Games. This will probably be the last Olympics for veterans Narang and trap shooter Manavjit Singh Sandhu as well, both set for their fourth appearance.

However, shooters like Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu are ensuring that the guns are in good hands. India will expect the experienced rifles of Bindra and Narang to spit fire in Rio, but it won’t be a surprise if debutants like Apurvi Chandela (10 m Air Rifle), Kynan Chennai (trap) and Chain Singh (50m rifle 3 positions) draw attention.

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Rifle shooter Sanjeev Rajput, who, despite winning the quota, won’t be on the flight to Rio, must be more than a little disappointed. That’s because the National Rifle Association of India was more interested in another men’s trap shooter, and decided to leave out Rajput.

The intensity of the competition in Indian shooting can be gauged from the fact that even NRAI President Raninder Singh won a trap silver in the 2015 national championship. Competing with him at that event was Sandhu. Not that the president was trying to prove anything, but it proves that age is no bar in shooting. And the competitiveness back home has ensured that qualifying for the Games has been no matter.

High medal hopes

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So, India will be disappointed if the country’s top 12 shooters – the contingent is larger than the 11 in 2012 – do not return with more than the two medals they won last time. Don't forget, the team includes two shooters who already know what it takes to win a medal at the Games.

In fact, Narang and Bindra's winning experience and mentality can inspire India’s remaining ten shooters strongly. What's more, Sandhu is a six-time Asian champion; Rai is a former World No. 1; Mairaj Ahmad Khan (skeet) is the current World No. 9; and Gurpreet Singh (Rapid Fire) is a twin Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

In the women's squad, Sidhu is a former World No. 1 and current world record holder in the 10m Air Pistol. It was her gold in that event at the Asian Olympics qualifiers that earned her the Olympic quota.

Chandela is considered the next big thing in women's shooting in India. She gave up her plans of a career as a journalist to pursue shooting. Like Sidhu, the 23-year-old is also a world record holder, which she achieved with her 10m Air Rifle gold at the Swedish Cup Grand Prix.

Rifle shooter Ayonika Paul bagged India's 11th quota for Rio with her silver in the qualifiers at Delhi.

The Squad:

Men
- Abhinav Bindra (10 m Air Rifle)

- Gagan Narang (10 m Air Rifle, 50 m Prone, 50 m Rifle 3 Positions)

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- Manavjit Singh Sandhu (Trap)

- Kynan Chenai (Trap)

- Jitu Rai (10 m Air Pistol, 50 m Pistol)

- Chain Singh (50 m Prone, 50 m Rifle 3 Positions)

- Gurpreet Singh (Rapid Fire, 10 m Air Pistol)

- Prakash Nanjappa (50 m Pistol)

- Mairaj Ahmad Khan (Skeet)

Women

- Apurvi Chandela (10 m Air Rifle)

- Ayonika Paul (10 m Air Rifle)

- Heena Sidhu (10 m Air Pistol, 25 m Pistol)