Highlights of 2023

almost two years.

Only days ahead of the World Championship, the newly-elected ISSF board changed the format of the finals, but that didn’t deter

Mehuli Ghosh from scoring 634.5 in the qualification round of the 10m air rifle — unimaginable a few years ago — and eventually winning the bronze medal. A Paris quota was the icing on the cake. Shiva Narwal and Esha Singh won the 10m mixed team gold to become the only Indian world champions in an Olympic category in 2023.

The final countdown

This year would be all about reeling in the remaining Olympic quota places. The National Rifle Association of India already has 17 quotas as of writing, a new record, with Vijayveer Sidhu being the latest to pocket the second 25m rapid-fire pistol slot alongside Anish Bhanwala in the recently concluded Rifle and Pistol Asian Championship in Jakarta. In trap and skeet, India has so far managed to win only two of the maximum eight possible Olympic quota places.

The country could very well fill up the vacant slots from two more competitions: the Asian Shotgun Championship in Kuwait between January 12–22 and April’s final Olympic Qualification Championship in Rio (Rifle and Pistol) and Doha (Shotgun). While on paper, India can grab all 24 quotas, it will be a tall task.

Before the Paris 2024 entry deadline on July 8, the International Olympic Committee will also have allocated the final spots based on Universality Places and Qualification Ranking for the Olympic Games (QROG).

New selection policies

While quotas never belonged to the athlete except for those awarded through QROG, it used to all but confirm an Olympic ticket the last

The country lappedup 22 medals, while breaking 18 records at the Hangzhou Asiad. The previous best showing was 14 medals at Doha 2006

Women

Sift Kaur Samrasurpassed the individual world record in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions at the Asian Games

Mehuli Ghosh shot 634.5in 10m air rifle qualification at the World Championships. Won a bronze and an Olympic quota in the final

Esha Singhwon four medals at the Asian Games. Ashi Chouksey bagged three

Men

Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar won four medals at the Asian Games

Mixed

Esha Singhand Shiva Narwal became the only reigning World Champions in an Olympic category

time around owing to additional 'merit points' that came along with it. This year, however, new selection policies have brought its value down. The quota holders will now fight for a seat on the Paris flight with the top three national shooters (who have participated in a minimum of two ISSF championships) and ‘deemed quota holders’ during a series of domestic qualifying competitions starting in May in New Delhi and Bhopal.

‘Deemed quota holders’ are those who missed out on a place because the designated two spots in the respective athlete’s discipline had already been accounted for.

The best three scores of a total of four trials will be considered for calculating a Final Average Score (FAS). As per the amended criteria, those who have earned the quotas in firearm events (50m rifle and 25m pistol) will get two bonus points added to their FAS, while airgun events (10m air rifle and air pistol) will grant you only one point.

WHILE ON PAPER, INDIA CAN GRAB ALL 24 QUOTAS, IT WILL BE A TALL TASK

A. M. FARUQUI Incredible feat: Sift Kaur Samra won India's first individual gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, topping the women's 50m rifle 3 positions final with a new world record score of 469.6.

AP In good touch: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar bagged silver in the men’s rifle 3-position event in the Asian shooting championship in Jakarta, Indonesia, recently.

S. MAHINSHA Booking the ticket: Esha Singh won India’s 15th Paris Olympics quota with a gold medal in the women’s 10m Air Pistol final in the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Jakarta recently.