The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has announced a 17-member shooting team for the Olympic test event to be staged at the Asanka Range in Tokyo, from April 16 to 25.
The event is basically meant for the Olympic qualified shooters with rare exceptions, in terms of numbers. The Asanka Range was used for the 1964 Games was rifle and pistol.
India will have 14 Olympic qualified shooters, as Tejaswini Sawant who won the Olympic in the women’s rifle 3-position event, has been kept out. Her place has been taken by Anjum Moudgil in the 3-position event.
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The two spots in the women’s air rifle have been filled by Apurvi Chandela and Elavenil Valarivan.
Since the test event does not allow additional spots, Anjum does not get to shoot air rifle, despite having won the first Olympic quota with the silver medal in air rifle in the World Championship in 2018. This could also give a hint about the thought process of the National federation for the Olympics.
India has not won any Olympic quota in men’s rapid fire pistol event, but will field Anish Bhanwala and Adarsh Singh in the test event.
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Moreover, Rahi Sarnobat and Chinki Yadav will shoot the women’s 25-metre pistol event, even though Manu Bhaker may have a better ranking.
Since only one Olympic quota may be swapped by a country, with the same gender, and depending on availability, it is a good possibility that Chinki gets to retain her place in the event, with good performances.
Incidentally, the NRAI has revised the entries for the World Cup at home in Delhi in March, by bringing Chinki Yadav in the main event, and keeping Olympian Annu Raj Singh in the MQS section.
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