Paris Olympics: NRAI Announces Rifle And Pistol Team; Manu Bhaker To Participate In Two Events

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The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced today a 15-member Indian Rifle and Pistol team following a virtual meeting of the senior selection committee.

There were no major surprises as women's pistol ace Manu Bhaker, now set to be a two-time Olympian, emerged as the only athlete participating in more than one individual event: the women's 10m air pistol and the women's 25m pistol.

The team consists of eight rifle shooters and seven pistol shooters. All members, along with the coaches and support staff, are currently at a camp in Volmerange-Les-Mines, France. The camp is primarily focused on acclimatization and intensive training before they take a two-week break at home.

India have earned 21 quotas in Shooting, a record, for the upcoming Paris 24 Olympic Games. Besides all 16 possible shots at a medal, in eight individual rifle and pistol events, India will also have a record five starts across the four individual shotgun events. In addition, India will also field five mixed teams, two each in rifle and pistol and one in shotgun.

The Shotgun team will also be announced soon after the on-going Lonato International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup. NRAI will also be looking to exchange the spare quota place which has freed up because of Manu making it to two events, appropriately as per ISSF rules.

At the Tokyo Olympics, India had 15 shooters, but they failed to win any medals, continuing their streak of coming home empty-handed from the past two Olympics. This result was particularly disheartening given their strong performances leading up to the Games.

As the Indian shooters gear up for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the nation holds its breath in anticipation, hopeful for a breakthrough performance. With a mix of seasoned Olympians and promising newcomers, the team is poised to make a significant impact.

Only time will tell if this dedicated group can turn their potential into podium finishes and end India's Olympic shooting drought. The Indian Rifle and Pistol Team for Paris Olympics 2024:

Indian Rifle Team for Paris 2024

• Sandeep Singh, Arjun Babuta (10m Air Rifle M)
• Elavenil Valarivan, Ramita (10m Air Rifle W)
• Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil (50m Rifle 3 Positions W)
• Aishwary Tomar, Swapnil Kusale (50m Rifle 3 Positions M)

India Pistol Team for Paris 2024

• Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema (10m Air Pistol M)
• Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan (10m Air Pistol W)
• Anish Bhanwal Vijayveer Sidhu (25m RFP M)
• Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh (25m Pistol W)