On July 11, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced the 18-member squad for the shooting programme of the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games. 12-members for the Indian Shotgun Squad have also been selected, and combined these two teams are expected to deliver a memorable performance across the 28 events in Japan.
Earlier this week, a 5-day final selection trial was held in Dehradun, and there were some surprising reveals. One of the biggest decisions was that India will send only one athlete in the men’s 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event. This decision comes due to the limited quota of 30 athletes. The limited spots have also led to several shooters with lower national rankings being selected so they can compete in two events.
Two-time Olympic medalist, Manu Bhaker has been selected for the Women’s 25-meter pistol and Women’s 10-meter air pistol events. Other than her, Rudranksh Patil, Esha Singh, and Vidarsa Vinod will also be competing in multiple events.
Reigning champion, Sift Kaur Samra, who won gold in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions at the Asian Games 2023 and Paris 2024 medalists Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale have not been selected. Samrat Rana, the world champion of the 10-meter air pistol wasn’t selected either.
After the selection of the squad, this is what the NRAI President Kalikesh Singh Deo said, “Selecting this team was a challenging task given the exceptional depth and quality of talent in Indian shooting today.
Given the 30-athlete cap for a programme that accommodates participation across 36 event slots, the Selection Committee undertook a detailed event-wise evaluation to ensure that the final squad provides India with the strongest possible representation and the best opportunity for competitive success across disciplines.
The final squad reflects the strength, depth and versatility of Indian shooting. We are confident that this team will represent India with distinction and make the nation proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”
Here’s a list of India’s Squad:
Men’s 10m air rifle – Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil
Women’s 10m air rifle – Elavneil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Vidarsa Vinod
Men’s 50m rifle 3 positions – Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Rudrankksh Patil
Women’s 50m rifle 3 positions – Ashi Chouksey, Vidarsa K Vinod, Tilottama Sen
Men’s 10m air pistol – Kedarling B. Uchaganve, Gaurav, Kamaljeet
Women’s 10m air pistol – Suruchi Singh, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker
Men’s 25m rapid fire pistol – Anish Bhanwala
Women’s 25m sport pistol – Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat
10m air rifle mixed team – Parth Rakesh Mane, Elavenil Valarivan
10m air pistol mixed team – Kedarling B. Uchaganve, Suruchi Singh
