Indian skeet and trap shooters will take part in their first international competition in over a year when the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup gets underway in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has named a 12-member Indian shooters’ contingent – six each in the skeet and trap events - for the tournament.
Skeet shooters Angad Bajwa and Mairaj Ahmad Khan are the only ones who have already won quota places for the Tokyo Olympics in July.
The Indian shooters recently took part in the Asian Online Shooting Championships and have kept sharp by participating in the national trials until last week.
The ISSF Shotgun World Cup kicks off with the skeet events on Wednesday, and they will end on Saturday. The trap events then begin on Monday, March 1.
The ISSF World Cup will be key for Indian trap shooters as it will be their final chance to win a Tokyo Olympics quota place.
“It’s a very tricky situation. Now the shooters will have to stay on target for podium finish to earn valuable world ranking points. The higher they rank, the better the chances for individual quota,” chief shotgun coach Mansher Singh had said.
The women’s trap shooting team – Rajeshwari Kumari, Shreyasi Singh, and Manisha Keer – are in good form having won medals at the Asian Online Shooting Championship.
Among the men’s trap shooters, Olympian Kynan Chenai, and veteran Prithviraj Tondaiman won medals while Asian Games silver-medallist Lakshay Sheoran will have his task cut out to earn enough ranking points for a Tokyo Olympics quota.
Where to watch the ISSF Shotgun World Cup live in India?
Fans in India can watch live streaming of the ISSF Shotgun World Cup on the ISSF YouTube channel and the ISSF Facebook page. A live stream is also available on ISSF’s Vimeo page.
ISSF World Cup Shotgun 2021: Full schedule and India start times
All times are in Indian Standard Time (IST)
Wednesday, 24 February
Skeet (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Skeet Team (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Thursday, 25 February
Skeet (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Skeet Team (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Skeet Women final - 8:15 PM IST
Skeet Men final - 9:30 PM IST
Friday, 26 February
Skeet Team (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Skeet Team Women final - 8:30 PM IST
Skeet Team Men final - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, 27 February
Skeet Mixed Team - 12:00 PM IST
Skeet Mixed Team final - 8:00 PM IST
Monday, 1 March
Trap (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Trap Team (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Tuesday, 2 March
Trap (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Trap Team (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Trap Women final - 8:15 PM IST
Trap Men final - 9:30 PM IST
Wednesday, 3 March
Trap Mixed Team - 12:00 PM IST
Trap Mixed Team final - 9:00 PM IST
Thursday, 4 March
Trap Team (Men and Women) - 12:00 PM IST
Trap Team Women final - 8:30 PM IST
Trap Team Men final - 9:30 PM IST
Indian squad for ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2021
Trap men: Lakshay Sheoran, Kynan Chenai, Prithviraj Tondaiman
Trap women: Rajeshwari Kumari, Shreyasi Singh, and Manisha Keer
Skeet men: Angadvir Singh Bajwa, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Gurjoat Singh Khangura
Skeet women: Ganemat Sekhon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Karttiki Singh Shaktawat