New Delhi, 01 May (H.S.):

The 12-member Indian shotgun team is fully prepared to take part in the second International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup shotgun stage of the year, which will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The team’s arrival will begin on Saturday, May 2.

A total of 284 athletes, representing 42 National Olympic Committees, will compete across five Olympic events in this 10-day competition. Eight members of the Indian team will also compete as ranking points only (RPO) shooters.

The competitions will begin on May 4 with the men’s and women’s skeet qualification rounds, while the finals will be held the following day. Both trap finals are scheduled for May 9, while the fifth and final final, the trap mixed team event, will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2026.

The Indian shotgun team

began its international campaign at the first World Cup stage in Tangier, Morocco, in March.

On the opening day of competition, three Indian Olympians — senior shooters Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Anantjeet Singh Naruka, and Raiza Dhillon, all in men’s and women’s skeet — will be in action. All three will compete internationally for the first time this year.

Apart from a strong Italian contingent, Indian shooters will face stiff competition from top athletes from leading shotgun nations such as Finland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Peru, and Qatar.

The host nation, Kazakhstan, also has a strong team, while the presence of China and Russia, competing as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), will make the contest even tougher. In such a field, Indian shooters will need to deliver their best performance to reach the podium.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar