Shooting: Chance for Indian Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol squad to grab 16th Olympic quota berth for country

New Delhi, March 18, 2021

About 294 shooters from 53 countries will be seen in action at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage to be held at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (DKSSR) here from today.

This is the first multi-nation Olympic sporting event of this scale anywhere in the world, post the Covid-19 pandemic and National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Raninder Singh, on Wednesday, exuded confidence about conducting it successfully.

Talking to the media, Raninder Singh said, "We wish everyone all the very best and, in particular, our Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol squad, who have the opportunity to deliver the 16th Olympic quota place to the country."

“The eyes of the entire Olympic sporting world will be on us and, therefore, there is a great responsibility as well. Thankfully, the Government of India, the Sports Ministry the Sports Authority of India have all stood by us in every aspect, thereby boosting our confidence.

"We are indebted for their support and hope that this sets a benchmark for other nations to follow. This united effort by Team India is sure to deliver a successful World Cup," he said.

“All Covid protocols and safety-measures have been put in place and we are all looking forward to some exciting matches, with several world class and legendary shooters lining up against our Indian stars. It has been a very difficult time for our athletes, given there were almost no competitions to speak of for almost a year, but we believe they are professionals and the best in the world, so will come back strong," he added.

The media conference was also attended by several members of the Indian shooting squad and many including seniors like Sanjeev Rajput and Tejaswini Sawant as well as youngsters like Manu Bhaker, opined that the lockdown had in a way turned beneficial for them as they had found time to focus on aspects like strength and skills, which they lacked earlier due to back to back competitions.

The first qualifying rounds of the ISSF World Cup, New Delhi, 2021, begin on Friday, March 19, with the first finals scheduled for Saturday, March 20.

NNN