New Delhi, June 11 (Representative) The spotlight is on Manu Bhaker as she gears up for both the 10 m and 25 m pistol events at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) unveiled a 15-member squad for rifle and pistol events on Tuesday, setting the stage for intense competition. Manu, a Youth Olympic Games gold medalist, will showcase her prowess in the women’s 10m air pistol and the women’s 25m pistol. Notably, she is the only athlete doubling up in individual events and might also compete in the mixed team category. This marks her second Olympic appearance, following Tokyo 2020. India secured the maximum possible 16 quotas—eight each in rifle and pistol events—through Olympic qualifying competitions. With Manu’s participation in two events, the NRAI plans to reallocate the freed-up pistol quota to the shotgun category, aligning with International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) regulations.
The announcement of the shotgun team awaits the conclusion of the ISSF World Cup in Lonato on June 18. India earned five quotas in shotgun events during the qualifying window, which wrapped up on June 9. Joining Manu are rifle sharpshooters Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Anjum Moudgil, and Elavenil Valarivan, all making their second Olympic appearances. The remaining 11 athletes in rifle and pistol events are set for their Olympic debuts. Among the team is Sift Kaur Samra, who clinched gold with a world-record performance in the 50m rifle 3 positions at last year’s Asian Games. The young and talented 19-year-old Esha Singh, who bagged four medals at the Asian Games, and Rhythm Sangwan complete the trio of women in the pistol team alongside Manu.
Despite their formidable skills, former world champion Rudrankksh Patil, Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar, and Asian Games medalist Ashi Chouksey did not make the Paris squad. However, Asian Games champions Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Singh Cheema will represent India in the 10-meter air pistol event. Additionally, India will feature five mixed teams in Paris: two in rifle, two in pistol, and one in shotgun events. Currently, the Indian rifle and pistol squads are in a training camp in Volmerange-les-Mines, France, preparing and acclimating before a two-week break at home. National Olympic Committees must confirm the allocated quota places to the ISSF by June 19. The excitement builds as the final team configurations take shape for the Paris 2024 Olympics.