Paris Olympics 2024 medallists Manu Bhaker and Swapnil Kusale will be the key figures in India’s 40-member shooting contingent for the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025, which gets underway in Cairo on Thursday, according to Olympics.com
The tournament will feature 720 shooters representing 72 federations, with the action taking place at the Egypt International Olympic City. The competition will conclude on November 17.
Indian rifle and pistol shooters have been in impressive form throughout the year on the World Cup circuit, bagging eight medals in Buenos Aires, seven in Lima, four in Munich, and two in Ningbo.
Two-time Olympic medallist Bhaker, who clinched a silver medal in Lima and three bronze medals at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship in Shymkent, will spearhead India’s pistol challenge. She will be joined by Esha Singh and Suruchi Singh, both of whom have been in fine touch this year on the World Cup circuit. Esha, in particular, has won three successive gold medals in the women’s 10m air pistol event.
In the rifle section, 2022 world champion Rudrankksh Patil will compete in his trademark 10m air rifle event, where he began the season with a gold medal at the World Cup in Buenos Aires.
Swapnil Kusale, who won bronze at the Paris Olympics last year, will look to build on that performance as he leads India’s campaign in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.
The squad also includes experienced shooters such as Elavenil Valarivan (women’s 10m air rifle), Sift Kaur Samra (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Arjun Babuta (men’s 10m air rifle), Anish Bhanwala (men’s 25m pistol), and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions).
(With agency inputs)