SHOOTING New-look home team seek change in fate
India’s campaign will rest on the shoulders of unheralded shooters in the season’s first ISSF World Cup beginning here on Friday.
On Day One of competition, having earned berths through impressive performances in selection trials, the trio of Satyendra Singh, Ravi Kumar and Deepak Kumar will be up against a formidable field in the men’s 10m air rifle event. They will be banking on familiarity with the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range to boost their challenge.
The only well-known face in the home side is Gagan Narang, bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, who booked a berth in the rifle prone event, and not in his favoured air rifle or rifle 3-categories. Pooja Ghatkar, Meghana Sajjanar and Vinita Bharadwaj will see action in the women’s 10m air rifle team.
Rajeshwari Kumari, Seema Tomar and Manisha Kheer will participate in the trap women’s event with Shagun Chowdhary and Shreyashi Singh.
A total of 50 countries, represented by 452 shooters, will take part in the competition.
The lists of participants include reigning and former Olympic champions, world champions and continental champions. The tournament will conclude on March 4.
Among the world’s top shooters present will be the likes of Diana Bacosi, Gabriele Rosetti, Hoang Xuan Vinh, Mengxue Zhang, and Felipe Almeida Wu. The ISSF Committee Executive and Administrative Council has unanimously approved the recommendation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic programme that aims to achieve gender equality and retain 15 Olympic events.
The recommendation will, however, have to be ratified by International Olympic Committee to effect the changes.
“Yes, we have changed three events in the Olympic programme and changed to mixed gender team events. This is a proposal which is now going to the IOC for further consideration. The final decision lies in the hands of IOC,” ISSF secretary general Franz Schreiber said here on Thursday.