NRAI Announces Elite National Camp Ahead of Hangzhou World Cup and Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

Rakesh Thapliyal 

New Delhi: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) in Sunday announced the commencement of a high-performance National Shooting Camp, serving as the definitive launchpad for the Indian contingent ahead of the upcoming ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China, and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The comprehensive training blocks, running dynamically through July 20, 2026, will bring together 35 of the nation’s premier shooters across Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun disciplines.

The camp features India’s marquee Olympic and World Championship stars, including Manu Bhaker, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Elavenil Valarivan, Esha Singh, and Bhowneesh Mendiratta.

To ensure the contingent receives elite technical fine-tuning, the NRAI has assembled a heavyweight coaching panel directly on the ranges. Prominent international experts leading the technical tracks include Olympic champion Peter Wilson (Foreign Coach, Trap), alongside renowned foreign tacticians Thomas Farnik (Rifle), Jalena Arunovic (Pistol), and Riccardo Filippelli (Skeet).

The international staff will work in tandem with legendary Indian shooters-turned-coaches, including Commonwealth Games icon Samaresh Jung (Head Coach, 10m Pistol) and former Olympian Anwer Sultan (High Performance Coach, Trap), providing a highly sophisticated support system for the athletes.

Emphasising the importance of the training block, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President, NRAI, said, “We are entering an incredibly crucial couple of months for Indian shooting. The World Cup in Hangzhou and the Asian Games are major benchmarks for us, and this camp is designed to make sure our shooters are peaking at the exact right moment. Having our core group train together under the guidance of top-tier coaches like Peter Wilson, Samaresh Jung, and our international team gives us the perfect environment to iron out minor details. It’s all about fine-tuning their routines so they can walk onto the international ranges with absolute clarity.”

The core coaching setup is further bolstered by High Performance Director Dr. Pierre Beauchamp and High Performance Manager Ronak Pandit, steering an 11-member sports science unit dedicated to injury prevention, conditioning, and psychological readiness.

Highlighting the comprehensive nature of the preparations, Pawankumar Singh, Secretary General, NRAI, stated, “A national camp like this is really about building the right momentum and camaraderie before heading into major tournaments. Our primary focus is to give our athletes the absolute best support system possible, ensuring they have everything they need to train without any distractions. The energy and focus among the shooters and the entire coaching staff right now is excellent. We are going into these next few months as one tight unit, and I am confident that this collective hard work will translate into strong performances on the global stage.”

The training schedules have been strategically structured across staggered blocks to optimise range efficiency at the national facility. While the primary Rifle and Pistol segments take place between July 12 and 17, and the Trap contingent runs from July 14 to 20, the Skeet team successfully mapped out their specialized technical routines in a dedicated early block commencing July 9.

 

CAMP ROSTER: ATHLETES

 

Rifle & Pistol

Men: Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Shahu Tushar Mane, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve, Kamaljeet, Anish, Omkar Singh, Bhavesh Shekhawat.

Women: Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Sakshi Sunil Padekar, Ashi Chouksey, Vidarsa K Vinod, Tilottama Sen, Suruchi, Sainyam, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat.

Trap

Men: Udaiveer Singh Jaijee, Bhowneesh Mendiratta, Vivaan Kapoor.

Women: Pragati Dubey, Kirti Gupta, Rajeshwari Kumari.

Skeet

Men: Gurjoat Siingh Khangura, Parampal Singh Guron, Abhay Singh Sekhon.

Women: Ganemat Sekhon, Darshna Rathore, Yashasvi Rathore.

 

COACHES

Coaching Management

Thomas Farnik – Foreign Coach Rifle

Jalena Arunovic – Foreign Coach Pistol

Peter Wilson – Foreign Coach Trap

Riccardo Filippelli – Foreign Coach Skeet

Samaresh Jung – Head Coach 10m Pistol

Manoj Kumar – Head Coach 50m Rifle

Anwer Sultan – High Performance Coach Trap

D.S. Chandel – High Performance Coach 10m Rifle

Vidhya Jadhav – Coach 10m Pistol

Harpreet Singh – Coach 25m Pistol

Pooja Ghatkar – Coach 10m Rifle

Satgurdas – Coach 50m Rifle

Yoginder Pal Singh Sansanwal – Coach Trap

Jodhbir Singh – Coach Skeet

Neelanjana Ghosal – Coach Skeet

Dr. Pierre Beauchamp – High Performance Director

Ronak Pandit – High Performance Manager.