India earns hosting rights to Asian shooting championship
New Delhi will host the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2027, awarding eight quota places for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. This will be the second consecutive continental championship in India, giving shooters home advantage ahead of two major events next year.
Hyderabad: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body for Olympic shooting in the country, on Tuesday announced that New Delhi has won the bid to host the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2027. Eight quota places for the Los Angeles 2028 (LA 28) Summer Olympic Games will be awarded at the event.
The announcement was confirmed through a letter sent to Shri Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President, NRAI, by H.E. Eng. Duaij AlOtaibi, Secretary General, Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC) on Monday (February 2, 2026). It will be the second consecutive time that India will host the premier continental championship for Rifle and Pistol shooters.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), the global governing body of the sport, had earlier allotted the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun to be held in New Delhi in April 2027, where 12 LA 28 quota places will be on offer.
Commenting on the development, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo said, “This will be a significant boost to Indian shooters on their road to LA, as now they will have two events with home advantage spread across the year to win quota places. For our Rifle and Pistol shooters, it is even more encouraging. On behalf of the NRAI, I thank Hon. Secretary General Eng. AlOtaibi and his team at ASC for continuing to repose their faith in India’s capability to host world-class shooting competitions.”
Pawankumar Singh, Secretary General, NRAI, added, “This is the result of the tireless efforts made by our entire team at NRAI, and I want to congratulate all of them for this big win. Additionally, the tremendous support from the Sports Authority of India, the Ministry of Sports, and the Government of India has ensured India’s growing stature as one of the most favoured destinations for world-class shooting competitions. We hope to reinforce this further next year with the two international tournaments.”
India is gradually emerging as a global hub for sport shooting. After the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Indian shooters won three of the country’s eight medals, top international competitions have been held regularly at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges.
Following the season-ending ISSF World Cup Final in October 2024, the ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun was held in September 2025, alongside the ongoing Asian Championship Rifle/Pistol 2026.
