Neeru, Suruchi, Himanshu among shooters to begin World Championship preparations in Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) India’s shooters selected for the ISSF World Championship Doha 2026 will begin a preparatory camp at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi from October 22, 2026, bringing together participants across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.
With this camp, the Indian squad steps up preparations for the World Championship, scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 1 to 14, 2026.
The Indian team’s preparatory programme in New Delhi has been divided into phases according to the respective disciplines. The 10m Rifle and Pistol athletes, along with the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol squad and Skeet athletes, will train from 22 to 29 October. The 50m Rifle and Women’s 25m Pistol athletes will remain in camp from 22 to 31 October, while the Trap contingent will train from 28 October to 4 November.
The 10m Air Rifle group features Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon and Paarth Makhija in the men’s section, while the women’s squad comprises Shambhavi Kshirsagar, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Elavenil Valarivan.
In 10m Air Pistol, the men’s squad includes Ravin Kumar, Jaypal Malviya and Kamaljeet, while Sainyam, Suruchi and Manu Bhaker form the women’s team.
The skeet contingent comprises Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Anantjeet Singh Naruka in the men’s squad, while Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon and Raiza Dhillon make up the women’s squad.
The 50m Rifle group, which will remain in camp until October 31, features Niraj Kumar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran in the men’s team, and Vidarsa K. Vinod, Ashi Chouksey and Anjum Moudgil in the women’s squad.
The 25m Rapid Fire Pistol group includes Suraj Sharma, Gurpreet Singh and Bhavesh Shekhawat in the men’s team, while Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker and Divya T.S. form the women’s squad.
The Trap contingent will join the camp from October 28, with Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Vivaan Kapoor and Udaiveer Singh Jaijee in the men’s squad, and Neeru, Manisha Keer and Pragati Dubey in the women’s squad.
Speaking about the significance of the camp, Dr. Pierre Beauchamp, High Performance Director, NRAI, said, “The preparatory camp in New Delhi is an important phase for our athletes as they fine-tune their performance ahead of the ISSF World Championship in Doha. Our focus is on working closely with the coaches to establish clear performance benchmarks for every athlete, aligned with what is required to qualify for the finals at the highest level of international competition.”
“We will be closely tracking qualification-to-final conversion and podium conversion percentages, as these will be key indicators of our preparedness and competitiveness. With the Olympic qualification process for Los Angeles 2028 beginning at the World Championship, this camp will be crucial in ensuring that our athletes are technically, physically and mentally ready to deliver their best,” he added.
The camp will serve as the final domestic preparation phase for the athletes before they travel to Doha for the World Championship, which will bring together the world’s leading rifle, pistol and shotgun athletes across two weeks of competition. The championships will also mark the beginning of the Olympic qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with 36 Olympic quota places to be awarded across the competition.
Indian squad for ISSF WC Preparatory Camp, New Delhi
10m Rifle Men: Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Paarth Makhija
10m Rifle Women: Shambhavi Kshirsagar, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan
50m Rifle Men: Niraj Kumar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Akhil Sheoran
50m Rifle Women: Vidarsa K Vinod, Ashi Chouksey, Anjum Moudgil
10m Pistol Men: Ravin Kumar, Jaypal Malviya, Kamaljeet
10m Pistol Women: Sainyam, Suruchi, Manu Bhaker
25m Pistol Men: Suraj Sharma, Gurpreet Singh, Bhavesh Shekhawat
25m Pistol Women: Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Divya T.S.
Skeet Men: Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Anantjeet Singh Naruka
Skeet Women: Ganemat Sekhon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon
Trap Men: Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Vivaan Kapoor, Udaiveer Singh Jaijee
Trap Women: Neeru, Manisha Keer, Pragati Dubey
Air Rifle Mixed Team: Parth Mane and Shambhavi Kshirsagar, Himanshu Dhillon and Sonam Uttam Maskar
Air Pistol Mixed Team: Ravin Kumar and Saniyam, Jaypal Malviya and Suruchi
Skeet Mixed Team: Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Raiza Dhillon, Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Ganemat Sekhon
Trap Mixed Team: Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Neeru, Vivaan Kapoor and Manisha Keer
–IANS
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