The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has invited five Indian shooters for the second edition of the Rifle/Pistol President’s Cup scheduled to be held between November 28 to December 4 in Cairo, Egypt.
Besides rifle shooter Anjum Moudgil – she is set to be the only Indian athlete to feature in the competition for a second time after the inaugural edition was held in 2021 - Team India is also set to feature 50m rifle 3 positions shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, 25m pistol star Rhythm Sangwan, 10m air rifle world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil and Paris 2024 quota holder in 50m 3P rifle, Swapnil Kusale.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is soon expected to formally respond to the invitation which expires on Sunday, November 4.
This is the first time three Indian small-bore shooters will be participating in the competition. Aishwary, who pulled out of the last edition of the competition, on fitness grounds will be raring to go this year, especially after a low-scoring series saw him crash out of the qualification round in the recently concluded World Championship.
Joydeep Karmakar, the Indian 50m rifle 3 positions head coach, is elated. “The event considered to be the weakest for India has the strongest presence this time. I am loving the redemption,” he said.
The top 12 athletes in individual Olympic events are called upon to participate in this event every year. Germany is set to have the biggest representation with 12 already qualified athletes this year. France has 10 athletes in the top-ranked, while the Czech Republic has eight. With the Pan-American Championship due to start in Lima, Peru on Monday, November 5, the United States still have a chance to increase the number of qualified shooters from six to eight.
The winners of each of these events will win the ‘Golden Target’, a trophy awarded annually to the top shooter in each event.
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