ISSF World Cup: Lock, Load, Shoot!
With the uncertainty about the Olympic quota places dispelled, the Indian shooters will aim to secure 12 of the Olympic quota places that they are eligible to earn in the 2019 ISSF World Cup, New Delhi.
Published : Feb 22, 2019 19:19 IST
The threat is over and the shooters can now pull the trigger in right earnest in pursuit of the 14 Olympic quota places on offer, apart from the 30 medals, in the ISSF World Cup starting at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, on Saturday. After the uncertainty about the Olympic quota places have been dispelled by a clear directive from the International Olympic Committee, the Indian shooters will aim to secure 12 of the Olympic quota places that they are eligible to earn in this edition. The rapid fire experts Anish Bhanwala, Arpit Goel and Adarsh Singh have to wait their turn for the next World Cup to win the rapid fire Olympic quota places.
Read: NRAI thankful for saved Olympic quota places With Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela having already secured the maximum possible two Olympic quota places for India in women’s air rifle, the focus will be on some of the explosive youngsters who have been dominant on the global stage.
Schedule for Saturday, 23 February 09:00 - 11:45 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Elimination 1 09:15 - 10:30 10m Air Rifle Women Relay 1 10:00 - 13:30 25m Pistol Women Precision Stage 11:45 - 13:00 10m Air Rifle Women Relay 2 12:45 - 15:30 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Elimination 2 14:15 Final 10m Air Rifle Women 15:00 Victory Ceremony Live Coverage on Ten Network and Doordarshan |
Asian Games silver medallist Deepak Kumar and the air rifle national champion for the last three years Ravi Kumar have enough exposure at the international level to strike it rich at home. There is also a surprise package in the young Divyansh Singh Panwar.
Also Read: IOC restricts withdrawal of Olympic quotas to 25m rapid fire pistol event The onus in women’s rifle 3-position will be on Gaayathri Nithyanandam and former World Champion in prone, Tejaswini Sawant, as the world record holder in the event, Anjum Moudgil is ineligible to fight for any further quota place.
The focus of all the shooters will be to first make the finals in their events. Everything is possible thereafter, from gold medals to Olympic quota places. The opening day will feature the women’s air rifle final, in which the host can aim to shoot the medals only. There will be live television coverage of the World Cup by Sony and Doordarshan, which should provide the right impetus for the Indian shooters to show case their world beating skills.
It will not be easy, as the rest of the world is in strength, with the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Americans, Russians apart from the Europeans, gunning for glory, which should make it a lively contest over the next five days.