Indian team for Delhi World Cup picked, chance for Anish to stake claim for Tokyo Olympics

New Delhi, Feb 16: Notwithstanding his subdued outing in national selection trials, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anish Bhanwala was on Tuesday picked in Indian men's 25m rapid-fire team for the ISSF World Cup in the national capital, owing to his better prospects of securing an Olympic quota.

All the country's top shooters, including the 15 Tokyo Olympics quota holders, are going to participate in the mega event, scheduled to be held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range from March 18-29.

The 18-year-old Anish is currently ranked 12th in the world but seventh in India.

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) could allot individual quota to the athlete who accumulates more ranking points by May 31. The deadline for allotting individual quota is May 31.

Winner of multiple medals in the junior World Cups in 2018 and 2019, Anish hasn't been in the best of form in recent times, failing to fire in the national selection trials for the tournament in Delhi.

No Indian shooter has so far secured a Tokyo Games quota in men's 25m rapid-fire, the event in which Vijay Kumar claimed a silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

World number one Elavenil Valarivan figures in the women's 10m air rifle team alongside quota holders Apurvi Chandela and Anjum Moudgil.

The New Delhi World Cup will see as many as 30 finals being held at an ISSF World Cup stage for the first time with the new team formats approved by the ISSF last year coming into play.

"All selections were based on latest National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) rankings, save Anish's selection in men's 25m rapid-fire pistol squad, given his present high world ranking of 12 gives him a better chance of securing a Tokyo 2020 quota pending a good finish," the federation said in a release.

The country's quota holders so far are Manu Bhaker, Apurvi Chandela, Anjum Moudgil, Abhishek Chaudhary, Abhishek Verma, Sanjeev Rajput, Tejaswini Sawant, Divyansh Singh Panwar, Chinki Yadav, Yashaswini Deswal, Rahi Sarnobat, Deepak Kumar, Aishwary Tomar, Angad Bajwa and Mairaj Ahmad Khan. This is the largest shooting contingent in Indian Olympic history.

Teams: 10M AIR RIFLE MEN 1. DIVYANSH SINGH PANWAR, 2. ARJUN BABUTA, 3. DEEPAK KUMAR, 4. PANKAJ KUMAR, MQS, 5. AISHWARY PRATAP SINGH TOMAR, MQS

50M RIFLE 3 POSITION MEN 1. SANJEEV RAJPUT, 2. AISHWARY PRATAP SINGH TOMAR, 3. NIRAJ KUMAR, 4. SWAPNIL KUSALE, MQS, 5. CHAIN SINGH, MQS, 10M AIR PISTOL MEN 1. SAURABH CHAUDHARY, 2. ABHISHEK VERMA, 3. SARABJOT SINGH, 4. RAVINDER SINGH, MQS, 5. SHAHZAR RIZVI, MQS

25M RAPID FIRE PISTOL MEN 1. VIJAYVEER SIDHU, 2. GURPREET SINGH, 3. ANISH, 4. ARPIT GOEL, MQS, 5. ADARSH SINGH, MQS​​​ TRAP MEN 1. KYNAN CHENAI, 2. LAKSHAY, 3. PRITHVIRAJ TONDAIMAN, 4. ZORAVAR SINGH SANDHU, MQS, 5. NAMANVEER SINGH BRAR, MQS SKEET MEN 1. ANGADVIR SINGH BAJWA, 2. MAIRAJ AHMAD KHAN, 3. GURJOAT SIINGH KHANGURA, 4. KARAM SUKHBIR SINGH, MQS, 5. AMRINDER SINGH CHEEMA, MQS

10M AIR RIFLE WOMEN 1. ELAVENIL VALARIVAN, 2. ANJUM MOUDGIL, 3. APURVI CHANDELA, 4. SHRIYANKA SADANGI, MQS, 5. NISHA KANWAR, MQS 50M RIFLE 3 POSITION WOMEN 1. TEJASWINI SAWANT, 2. SUNIDHI CHAUHAN, 3. ANJUM MOUDGIL, 4. GAAYATHRI N., MQS, 5. SHREYA SAKSENA, MQS 10M AIR PISTOL WOMEN 1. MANU BHAKER, 2. YASHASWINI SINGH DESWAL, 3. P. SHRI NIVETHA, 4. SHWETA SINGH, MQS, 5. ESHA SINGH, MQS 25M SPORTS PISTOL WOMEN 1. MANU BHAKER, 2. RAHI SARNOBAT, 3. CHINKI YADAV, 4. NEERAJ KAUR, MQS, 5. ABHIDNYA ASHOK PATIL, MQS TRAP WOMEN 1. RAJESHWARI KUMARI, 2. SHREYASI SINGH, 3. MANISHA KEER, 4. KIRTI GUPTA, MQS 5. NEERU, MQS SKEET WOMEN 1. GANEMAT SEKHON, 2. PARINAAZ DHALIWAL, 3. KARTTIKI SINGH SHAKTAWAT, 4. DARSHANA RATHORE, MQS, 5. ZAHRA MUFADDAL DEESAWALA, MQS 10M AIR RIFLE MIXED TEAM 1. DIVYANSH SINGH PANWAR, 2. ELAVENIL VALARIVAN 1. ARJUN BABUTA, 2. ANJUM MOUDGIL 50M RIFLE 3 POSITION MIXED TEAM 1. SANJEEV RAJPUT, 2. TEJASWINI SAWANT 1. AISHWARY PRATAP SINGH TOMAR, 2. SUNIDHI CHAUDHAN 10M AIR PISTOL MIXED TEAM 1. SAURABH CHAUDHARY, 2. MANU BHAKER 1. ABHISHEK VERMA, 2. YASHASWINI SINGH DESWAL 25M RAPID FIRE PISTOL MIXED TEAM 1. VIJAYVEER SIDHU, 2. TEJASWANI 1. GURPREET SINGH, 2. ABHIDNYA ASHOK PATIL

TRAP MIXED TEAM 1. KYNAN CHENAI, 2. RAJESHWARI KUMARI 1. LAKSHAY, 2. SHREYASI SINGH

SKEET MIXED TEAM 1. ANGADVIR SINGH BAJWA, 2. GANEMAT SEKHON 1. MAIRAJ AHMAD KHAN, 2. PARINAAZ DHALIWAL 10M AIR RIFLE MEN TEAM 1. DEEPAK KUMAR, 2. PANKAJ KUMAR, 3. AISHWARY PRATAP SINGH TOMAR

50M RIFLE 3 POSITION MEN TEAM 1. NIRAJ KUMAR, 2. SWAPNIL KUSALE, 3. CHAIN SINGH 10M AIR PISTOL MEN TEAM 1. SAURABH CHAUDHARY, 2. ABHISHEK VERMA, 3. SARABJOT SINGH 25M RAPID FIRE PISTOL MEN TEAM 1. VIJAYVEER SIDHU, 2. GURPREET SINGH, 3. ARPIT GOEL​​​ TRAP MEN TEAM 1. KYNAN CHENAI, 2. LAKSHAY, 3. PRITHVIRAJ TONDAIMAN SKEET MEN TEAM 1. ANGADVIR SINGH BAJWA, 2. MAIRAJ AHMAD KHAN, 3. GURJOAT SIINGH KHANGURA

10M AIR RIFLE WOMEN TEAM 1. APURVI CHANDELA, 2. SHRIYANKA SADANGI, 3. NISHA KANWAR 50M RIFLE 3 POSITION WOMEN TEAM 1. ANJUM MOUDGIL, . GAAYATHRI N, 3. SHREYA SAKSENA 10M AIR PISTOL WOMEN TEAM 1. MANU BHAKER, 2. YASHASWINI SINGH DESWAL, 3. P. SHRI NIVETHA 25M SPORTS PISTOL WOMEN TEAM 1. MANU BHAKER, 2. RAHI SARNOBAT, 3. CHINKI YADAV TRAP WOMEN TEAM 1. RAJESHWARI KUMARI, 2. SHREYASI SINGH, 3. MANISHA KEER SKEET WOMEN TEAM 1. GANEMAT SEKHON, 2. PARINAAZ DHALIWAL, 3. KARTTIKI SINGH SHAKTAWAT.