Narang, Jitu, Mehuli fail to make cut for Asian Games squad

The seasoned Gagan Narang, Jitu Rai and young Mehuli Ghosh failed to make the Indian shooting squad for the upcoming Asian Games, even as a few unheralded faces were picked for the quadrennial extravaganza, starting August 18 in Indonesia.

Though Narang has been picked for the ISSF World Championships, were a country can field three shooters, which follows the Asian Games, Jitu has failed to get a slot for the first Tokyo Olympic quota event, too, where 60 quota places are on offer.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manu Bhaker will compete in three events at the Asian Games to be staged in Jakarta, Indonesia, in September.

The 16-year-old Manu, who clinched the air pistol gold in the recent Junior World Cup in Suhl, will be competing in the 10-metre air pistol and the 25-metre sports pistol events, apart from the mixed air pistol event with Abhishek Verma, who will be making his international debut.

Olympian Heena Sidhu, who had won the sports pistol gold in the Commonwealth Games will shoot only air pistol, while World Cup gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat will shoot sports pistol.

Another young shooter, who has been consistently recording world-class scores, Elavenil Valarivan, has got the nod ahead of the Commonwealth Games silver medallist Mehuli Ghosh for women’s air rifle.

Olympian Apurvi Chandela has managed to retain her berth for air rifle, while it will be Anjum Moudgil and Gaayathri Nithyanandam for the women’s rifle 3-position event.

Ravi Kumar and Deepak Kumar have retained their stranglehold over the air rifle, and it will be Ravi Kumar in partnership with Apurvi for the mixed air rifle event.

Shahzar Rizvi, who bagged the gold and silver medals in the World Cups this season, with a world record to boot, has been overtaken by Abhishek Verma and Saurabh Chaudhary in the air pistol team.

In the shotgun event, Lakshay Sheoran and Shreyasi Singh will make the mixed trap team. In fact, Shreyasi will have her hands full, like Manu, as she would be competing in the women’s trap and double trap events as well.

The selectors kept a lid on both men and women competitors, including big bore event, so as to arrive at a healthy combination in order to deliver the best results.

Notable shooters missing out are the Asian Games gold medallist Jitu Rai, Olympians Gurpreet Singh, Vijay Kumar, Gagan Narang, Ayonika Paul, Kynan Chenai, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Prakash Nanjappa and Chain Singh.

Asian Games squad:

Senior Rifle: Men: 3 Positions: Sanjeev Rajput, Akhil Sheoran; Air Rifle: Ravi Kumar, Deepak Kumar; 300m Standard Rifle: Harjinder Singh, Amit Kumar; Air Rifle Mixed: Ravi Kumar, Apurvi Chandela.

Women: 3 Positions: Anjum Moudgil, Gaayathri N; Air Rifle: Apurvi, Elavenil Valarivan.

Senior Pistol: Men: Air Pistol: Abhishek Verma, Saurabh Chaudhary;

Rapid Fire Pistol: Shivam Shukla, Anish; Air Pistol Mixed: Abhishek Verma, Manu Bhaker.

Women: Air Pistol: Manu, Heena Sidhu; Sports Pistol: Rahi Sarnobat, Manu.

Senior Shotgun: Men: Trap: Lakshay, Manavjit Singh Sandhu; Skeet: Sheeraz Sheikh, Angadwir Bajwa; Double trap: Ankur Mittal, Shradul Vihaan; Trap Mixed: Lakshay, Shreyasi Singh.

Women: Trap: Shreyasi Singh, Seema Tomar; Skeet: Ganemat Sekhon, Rashmmi Rathore; Double Trap: Shreyasi Singh, Varsha Varman.