INDIA’S leading shooters will return to action when the ISSF World Championship (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) gets underway here on Sunday, with barely any time to recover from the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and a point to prove after a below-par showing in Japan. With the qualification race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics also beginning at the prestigious competition, India’s big names will be eager to put the Asian Games disappointment behind them and get their Olympic campaign off to a strong start. India’s shooting medal haul at the Asian Games suffered a sharp fall, dropping from 22 in Hangzhou in 2023 (seven gold, nine silver and six bronze) to just 15 in Aichi-Nagoya (three gold, eight silver and four bronze).

 

The setback should serve as a wake-up call for the National Rifle Association of India and trigger a hard look at the reasons behind the slide. Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, Elavenil Valarivan and several other established shooters fell short of gold, while China and other leading shooting nations enjoyed a stronger campaign. The focus now shifts to Doha, where there is much more than world titles at stake. The championships mark the start of the Olympic qualification process for Los Angeles 2028, with 36 quota places on offer across the 12 individual Olympic events, three in each discipline. It is the biggest single opportunity to secure Olympic berths during the entire qualification cycle. Securing early quotas would give India some breathing space and allow its shooters to focus on preparations, domestic trials and the demanding road to Los Angeles.

 

With India also harbouring ambitions of hosting the 2036 Olympics, performances at major international competitions will be closely watched as the country seeks to establish itself among the world’s leading sporting nations. One of India’s biggest hopes will be Neeru Dhanda, who emerged as a standout performer at the Asian Games. The trap shooter returned from Japan with two gold medals, winning the individual and mixed team events, besides adding a women’s team silver to her impressive haul. Her performance provided a major boost to Indian shooting and makes her one of the country’s leading medal prospects in Doha. Suruchi Inder Singh, who has enjoyed an impressive run on the World Cup circuit and won the 10m air pistol mixed team gold at the Asian Games, will also be among those to watch. There were encouraging signs in Aichi-Nagoya despite the dip in India’s gold medal count, with several shooters, including Elavenil and Esha, coming close to the top podium spot before settling for lesser medals.