Indian shooters target World Championship finals as LA 2028 qualification begins

Indian shooters will begin a preparatory camp in New Delhi on October 22 ahead of the ISSF World Championship in Doha. Athletes across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines will train in phases as they prepare for competition and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualification

Hyderabad: India’s shooters selected for the ISSF World Championship Doha 2026 will begin a preparatory camp at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on October 22.

The camp will bring together athletes across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines as the Indian squad steps up preparations for the World Championship, scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 1 to 14.

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The preparatory programme in New Delhi has been divided into phases according to the respective disciplines. The 10m Rifle and Pistol athletes, along with the men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol squad and Skeet athletes, will train from October 22 to 29. The 50m Rifle and women’s 25m Pistol athletes will remain in camp from October 22 to 31, while the Trap contingent will train from October 28 to November 4.

The 10m Air Rifle men’s squad features Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon and Paarth Makhija, while the women’s team comprises Shambhavi Kshirsagar, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Elavenil Valarivan.

In 10m Air Pistol, the men’s squad includes Ravin Kumar, Jaypal Malviya and Kamaljeet, while Sainyam, Suruchi and Manu Bhaker form the women’s team.

The Skeet contingent comprises Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Anantjeet Singh Naruka in the men’s squad, while Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon and Raiza Dhillon make up the women’s team.

The 50m Rifle group, which will remain in camp until October 31, features Niraj Kumar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran in the men’s team, and Vidarsa K Vinod, Ashi Chouksey and Anjum Moudgil in the women’s squad.

The 25m Rapid Fire Pistol group includes Suraj Sharma, Gurpreet Singh and Bhavesh Shekhawat in the men’s team, while Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker and Divya T.S. form the women’s squad.

The Trap contingent will join the camp on October 28, with Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Vivaan Kapoor and Udaiveer Singh Jaijee in the men’s squad, and Neeru, Manisha Keer and Pragati Dubey in the women’s team.

Speaking about the significance of the camp, Dr Pierre Beauchamp, High Performance Director of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), said, “The preparatory camp in New Delhi is an important phase for our athletes as they fine-tune their performance ahead of the ISSF World Championship in Doha. Our focus is on working closely with the coaches to establish clear performance benchmarks for every athlete, aligned with what is required to qualify for the finals at the highest level of international competition.”

“We will be closely tracking qualification-to-final conversion and podium conversion percentages, as these will be key indicators of our preparedness and competitiveness. With the Olympic qualification process for Los Angeles 2028 beginning at the World Championship, this camp will be crucial in ensuring that our athletes are technically, physically and mentally ready to deliver their best,” Dr Beauchamp said.

The camp will serve as the final domestic preparation phase before the athletes travel to Doha for the World Championship, which will bring together leading rifle, pistol and shotgun athletes from across the world over two weeks of competition.

The championships will also mark the beginning of the Olympic qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with 36 Olympic quota places to be awarded across the competition.