NRAI likely to go with trial winners for Paris

The shooters who won the Olympic selection trials at home, in all likelihood, will represent India at the Paris Olympics. The selection committee of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) met on Monday and decided to go ahead on the basis of the results at the trials held in Delhi and Bhopal, it has been learnt.

An official announcement was yet to be made by NRAI.

The NRAI selection committee discussed several points including the scenario in men's 10m air rifle where 2022 world champion Rudrankksh Patil – he won one of the quotas for the country – missed out on a Paris berth by decimal points. He finished third at the trials, behind surprise topper of the competitions, Sandeep Singh, and the other quota winner Arjun Babuta.

“All aspects were discussed and the selection committee was of the view that there was no substantial reason to deviate (from the selection policy),” said a selection panel member who was part of the meeting.

Rudrankksh had written to the federation to consider selecting him in place of Sandeep, arguing that he has consistently performed in major international tournaments and won medals. Two other shooters who lost the trials had also written to the federation.

NRAI will also have to redistribute the extra quota slot in pistol that opened up after Manu Bhaker won the trials in both 10m pistol and 25m pistol events. The spare quota is likely to go to women’s trap and will be decided after the ISSF World Cup (Shotgun), to be held in Italy from June 10-19.

India has secured all 16 available quotas in rifle and pistol events. Indian shooters have won a record 21 quota places for the July-August Olympics. Five quotas have come in shotgun.

Indian shooters are determined to translate their world-class talent into medals at the Games after failing to win a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and in the 2021 edition in Tokyo.