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 Asanka Range was used for the 1964 Games in only rifle and pistol events.
This test event is basically meant for the Olympic qualified shooters with rare exceptions, in terms of numbers.
India will have 14 Olympic-qualified shooters, as Tejaswini Sawant who won the Olympic quota in the women’s rifle 3-position event, has been kept out.
Her place has been taken by Anjum Moudgil.
Air rifle spots
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 will not shoot in 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 in the women’s 25-metre pistol event, even though Manu Bhaker has 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.
Entries revised
Incidentally, the NRAI has revised the entries for the World Cup at home in Delhi in March, by bringing Chinki into the main event, and keeping Olympian Annu Raj Singh in the MQS section.
The team: Men: 50m rifle 3-position: Sanjeev Rajput, Ashwary Pratap Singh. 10m air pistol: Abhishek Verma, Saurabh Chaudhary.
10m air rifle: Divyansh Singh Panwar, Deepak Kumar. 25m rapid fire pistol: Anish Bhanwala, Adarsh Singh. Skeet: Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa.
Women: 50m rifle 3-position: Anjum Moudgil. 10m air pistol: Manu Bhaker, Yashaswini Singh Deswal. 10m air rifle: Apurvi Chandela, Elavenil Valarivan.
25m sports pistol: Rahi Sarnobat, Chinki Yadav.
Mixed air pistol: Abhishek Verma & Manu Bhaker; Saurabh Chaudhary & Yashaswini Singh Deswal. Mixed air rifle: Divyansh Singh Panwar & Apurvi Chandela; Deepak Kumar & Elavenil Valarivan.