New look Indian Shooting Team in Cairo for year’s first ISSF World Cup

Khel Today Bureau

New Delhi: A 34- strong Indian Shooting squad including shooters and support staff, are in Cairo, Egypt, to compete in the year’s first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol. Competitions are scheduled to begin on Sunday, February 27, 2022, with the Men’s 10M Air Rifle qualification relays and end on Monday, March 07, 2022, with the 25M Rapid Fire Pistol Mixed Team competition, slated as the final medal match.

India has a lot of new faces from the squad which represented the country in their previous assignment- the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held last year. The Men’s Air Rifle squad which goes first is led by Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar, with Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil and Srinjoy Dutta completing the troika of medal hopefuls.

The last two named will be on their first senior India assignments and last represented the country at the Junior World Championships last year where Rudrankksh won a silver.

K Sultan Singh, Secretary General, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), wished the team ahead of the competition saying, “We are confident that the team has been well prepared to deliver the desired performances for the country in Cairo. There are a lot of new young faces who have a lot of potential as well as established international performers and therefore we believe that our good run in ISSF events would continue. It is important to begin the international season well as it boosts confidence for the rest of the year. We wish all the coaches, physios and athletes all the very best and hope they make full use of the opportunity to bring glory to the nation.”

Seasoned India coach and former Shooter Samaresh Jung also shared his views saying, “It is a new season, lots of new faces and hopefully a new fresh beginning for Indian Shooting. The team has settled down well and we look forward to giving our best as usual.”

The first medals will be distributed on Monday, February 28, 2022, when both the Men’s and Women’s Air Rifle finals are scheduled.

The new ISSF rules and formats will be in use for the first time in a World Cup stage at Cairo. They were first tested at the President’s Cup held end of last year. Over 500 athletes from 60 nations have entered to take part in the Cairo World Cup which has 20 medal sets on offer.