New Delhi, 24 May (H.S.): A 22-member Indian contingent will participate in the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2026 to be held in Munich, with double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker set to compete in three events, including two individual pistol categories and the mixed team pistol event.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced the Indian squad on Sunday, featuring a balanced combination of experienced campaigners and emerging young shooters.
The competitions will begin on May 26 with the women’s 25m pistol precision stage. The opening day will also feature the men’s 10m air pistol qualification round, the women’s 50m rifle three positions elimination round, and the men’s 10m air rifle qualification event. Finals for the men’s 10m air pistol and 10m air rifle categories will also be held on the first day.
A total of 696 athletes from 80 countries, including several Olympic and world champions, are participating in the Munich World Cup. The tournament will serve as a major platform for competitors to assess their preparations ahead of upcoming multi-sport events and the Shooting World Championships scheduled later this year.
India had won one gold medal at the Rifle/Pistol World Cup held in Granada in April. In that tournament, India fielded shooters ranked between third and sixth in the domestic circuit. However, the Munich event will mark the first major international competition this year in which India’s top-ranked rifle and pistol shooters will compete overseas.
Two-time Olympian and former Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat will be the most experienced member of the Indian contingent in Munich.
Other seasoned international shooters in the squad include reigning world champion Samrat Rana, former world champion Rudrankksh Patil, World Championship silver medallists Anish Bhanwala and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, World Championship bronze medallists Elavenil Valarivan and Suruchi Singh, as well as reigning Munich mixed team champion Arjun Babuta.
Among the fresh faces in the squad is 22-year-old Sakshi Padekar from Pune, Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Suraj Sharma is the youngest member of the team at just 18 years of age.
Ajendra Singh Chauhan earned his place in the squad following impressive performances in the domestic circuit, while Udhayveer Sidhu will represent India in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event in Munich.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
