NRAI President Confident of India’s Good Showing at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol, New Delhi, 2019

New Delhi, February 8, 2019: The President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Mr. Raninder Singh, who is now also the Vice President of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), expressed confidence in the Indian team’s prospects in the upcoming International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol, New Delhi, 2019, at a Press Conference organized to make members of the Indian squadinteract with the media.

The top international sporting event, scheduled on February 20-28 at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (KSSR) in the National Capital, assumes even more significance, given 16 Tokyo 2020 Olympics quotas are up for grabs in eight of the 10 scheduled medal events.

Mr. RaninderSingh, who will be also heading the Organizing Committee of the event as its Chairman said, “We have a top fighting fit squad and a good mix of senior shooters and young turks, who have proved their mettle time and again in world class international competitions. I am confident of a good showing and we look to bag the maximum number of quotas possible.We have a top fighting fit squad and a good mix of senior shooters and young turks, who have proved their mettle time and again in world class international competitions. I am confident of a good showing and we look to bag the maximum number of quotas possible,”

Among the 10 out of 23 competing Indian team members present were ApurviChandela (Women’s 10m Air Rifle & Mixed Team), Ravi Kumar (Men’s 10m Air Rifle & Mixed Team), Sanjeev Rajput (Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions), RahiSarnobat (Women’s 25m Pistol), AbhishekVerma (Men’s 10m Air Pistol), Saurabh Chaudhary (Men’s 10m Air Pistol & Mixed Team), TejaswiniSawant (Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions), AnjumMoudgil (Women’s 10m Air Rifle), Deepak Kumar (Men’s 10m Air Rifle) and Adarsh Singh (Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol).

Mr. Raninder Singh, further added, “I look forward to welcome all athletes and officials to Delhi and promise that India will put their best foot forward as usual in hosting them. I wish all competitors the best of luck for their events. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Government of India and the Sports Authority of India for supporting us in every step. I also humbly thank the entire Shooting fraternity including the team at NRAI, the coaches, former players and support staff, for working tirelessly to make the event a success. This time it also gives me great pleasure to thank all our sponsors. It gives me great pleasure to share that besides our regular sponsors from the Public Sector undertakings, this time private corporate India has also come forward in a big way to promote the sport and the event. Last but not the least, I thank the media for always supporting the sport of Shooting and look forward to their support and cooperation once again.”

Hosts India will be fielding a 34-member squad, including 11 in the non-competition Minimum Qualification Score (MQS) category.

In all, 495 athletes from 58 nations will be converging in Delhi when competitions begin in right earnest with the first final slated for February 23, 2019.

A slew of top athletes of the sport including legends, reigning and former Olympic Champions, World Champions, Asian Games Champions, Commonwealth Games Champions and World Cup winners will enthrall fans over five days of top quality Olympic sporting action.

Only the two Mixed Team events, one each in Air Rifle and Air Pistol,out of the 10 events will have no quotas on offer.

India have already bagged their maximum share of two country quotas in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle competition through AnjumMoudgil and ApurviChandela in the ISSF World Championship in Changwon last year. As such, these athletes will not be eligible for quotas, however that does not stop them from winning a coveted World Cup medal.

India, therefore, will look to bag the maximum possible from the 14 quotas in seven events that they are eligible to win quotas in.