Rohan Chowdhury
A record Indian shooting contingent, comprising a blend of experienced and junior athletes, and led by two-time Olympic Games medallist Manu Bhaker, is all set to begin its 16th Asian Shooting Championships campaign on Monday, August 18th. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has named a 35-member senior squad for the continental championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Including juniors and self-financed (RPO) athletes, the total Indian contingent is the largest in the Central Asian country, with 183 members, as per the NRAI report.
Bhaker will compete in both the 10m Air Pistol and 25m Pistol events, alongside Asian Games gold medallist Esha Singh. Suruchi Singh Inder, a top performer at the ISSF World Cup legs in South America and Germany, will also participate in the 10m Air Pistol, making it a strong medal-contending event for India.
Senior shooter Mehuli Ghosh will compete in two events. In the 10m Air Rifle, she will be joined by youngster Arya Rajesh Borse and seasoned shooter Elavenil Valarivan. In the 50m 3-Position (3P) event, Mehuli will compete alongside top medal contender Sift Kaur Samra. Shriyanka Sadangi, who recently tied the knot with fellow shooter Akhil Sheoran, will also participate in this category. Akhil will represent India in the men’s 50m 3P event.
Please note that, several senior candidates are also participating in numerous events on their own expenses. Only the junior category athletes can win medals even if they’re self financed. Self financed seniors will compete in RPO.
Speaking about his preparations, Sheoran told RevSportz, “I’m keeping to the basics and there is always scope for improvement. Due to the war, it was difficult to get ammunition, so we relied on the SCATT machine for training.”
“The weather will be pleasant, but since it’s our first time in Kazakhstan, the challenges will be new,” he added.
In the men’s 10m Air Pistol, all eyes will be on Saurabh Chaudhary. Once a strong Olympic medal prospect, Chaudhary faced a dip in form and was briefly out of the circuit. However, since the beginning of the year, he has made a strong comeback, securing podium finishes at multiple World Cup events and will look to maintain that momentum. Promising youngsters Aditya Malra and Anmol Jain are also part of this event. Head coach Samaresh Jung, in an exclusive interview with RevSportz, noted, “They’re doing well and have potential.”
Other senior athletes drawing attention include Arjun Babuta, Rudrankksh Patil, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Chain Singh.
In the previous edition of the championship, held in 2023, in Changwon, South Korea, India finished third in the medal tally with 19 medals. “Hopefully, this time we’ll better our tally,” said Jung to RevSportz. Shooter Sheoran echoed the sentiment.
In the shotgun events, experienced athletes like Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, Raiza Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan will compete alongside several upcoming shooters.
The 35 senior athletes will participate in 15 medal events. The first batch of athletes, along with support staff, has already reached Kazakhstan. Sunday, August 17th, is scheduled for equipment control and pre-event training sessions. The championship officially begins on Monday, after noon, starting with the men’s 10m Air Pistol event.
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