India is all set to host the 17th edition of the Asian Rifle and Pistol Championship 2026 at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, located in the capital city of New Delhi, from February 4 to 13. As the premier continental competition of the year, this event marks the beginning of the international season and will serve as a litmus test for markspersons ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan.
Ahead of this important continental showpiece, the spotlight will be on established shooters alongside rising stars – such as Manu Bhaker, Arjun Babuta, Samrat Rana, APS Tomar, Esha Tomar, Elavenil Valarivan and Suruchi Singh, among others.
The 10-day continental showpiece will host 311 athletes from 20 nations, with 564 starts across the competition, offering a total of 30 medal sets.
India enter the fray not just as the host nation but also as the regional heavyweight, fielding a massive contingent of 118 athletes across senior and junior categories – the largest at the tournament.
Apart from the host nation, Kazakhstan will be represented by 35 shooters, while Iran brings a strong presence with 28. Japan and South Korea have also fielded sizeable squads.
In a move that surprised many, given current diplomatic tensions and the fact that cricketing ties are at their lowest, Bangladesh has confirmed its lone entry with Olympian Md Robiul Islam. The Bangladesh cricket team recently pulled out of the Men’s T20 World Cup in India citing security concerns.
Continental heavyweight China has not submitted any entries for this edition, while Pakistan will also be absent. The absence of Chinese shooters in particular removes one of the host nation’s biggest rivals, potentially clearing the path for Indian dominance in several disciplines.
Following a historic 2025 Asian Shooting Championship campaign, where India topped the medal tally by registering its best-ever showing in Shymkent, Kazakhstan – winning a record 99 medals, including 50 golds across all categories – the pressure will be on the host shooters to replicate that dominance on home soil in front of a familiar crowd.
India’s Senior Squad for the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026 (Olympic Events)
Individual Events – Men
Air Rifle: Arjun Babuta, Rudrankksh Patil, Vishal Singh
50m Rifle 3P: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Akhil Sheoran
Air Pistol: Samrat Rana, Sharvan Kumar, Varun Tomar
25m Rapid Fire Pistol: Anish Bhanwala, Adarsh Singh, Neeraj Kumar
Individual Events – Women
Air Rifle: Elavenil Valarivan, Meghana Sajjanar, Arya Rajesh Borse
50m Rifle 3P: Anjum Moudgil, Ashi Chouksey, Aakriti Dahiya
Air Pistol: Suruchi Singh, Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh
25m Sports Pistol: Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan
Mixed Team Events
Air Rifle Mixed Team: Arjun Babuta & Elavenil Valarivan; Rudrankksh Patil & Meghana Sajjanar
Air Pistol Mixed Team: Samrat Rana & Suruchi Singh; Sharvan Kumar & Manu Bhaker
Follow Revsportz for all sports updates.
