India's Shooting squad at 2023 Asian Games: Only 3 make cut for 2nd Asiad appearance

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), on Saturday, announced a 21-member Indian rifle and pistol shooting team for the upcoming 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in China - a team that will have 18 debutants at the continental event.

None of the 10 shooters who clinched medals for India five years ago at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, including gold medallists Saurabh Chaudhary and Rahi Sarnobat, will be a part of the Indian squad in Hangzhou.

3 Indian shooters make second Asiad appearance

In fact, the only names retained from 2018 in the rifle and pistol shooting squads are Manu Bhaker, Anish Bhanwala, and Akhil Sheoran. All three of them had returned empty-handed from Indonesia.

While a young Bhaker had competed in three events in 2018, she will be competing only in women's 25m sports pistol this time around. Bhanwala, who was one of the youngest members of the entire Indian contingent then at the age of 15 then, returns as a much matured shooter in his pet event - men's 25m rapid fire pistol.

Sheoran, too, will compete in the same event he competed in 2018 - men's 50m rifle 3 positions.

Shooters who miss out of 2023 Asian Games

The likes of Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma, who earned a double podium for India in men's 10m air pistol in 2018, miss out on the trip to Hangzhou even after a spirited performance in the final selection trials and were placed eighth and fourteenth respectively.

Taking their slots will be Sarabjot Singh, Shiva Narwal, and Arjun Cheema - who finished top 3 in the trials.

There has been a complete overhaul in the women's rifle section as well with all three of Apurvi Chandela, Anjum Moudgil, and Elavenil Valarivan missing out. They will be replaced by Ramita Jindal, Mehuli Ghosh, and Ashi Chouksey in the 10m air rifle, while Sift Kaur Samra and Manini Kaushik make their way in the 50m rifle 3 positions.

The young Tilotamma Sen was unlucky to miss out in women's 10m air rifle despite being among top three in the trials, thanks to the rule which allows only five rifle shooters from a National Olympic Committee (NOC) of each gender to compete. She was pipped to the squad by Chouksey, who will also compete in the 3 positions event.

Shooters in multiple medal events - Aishwary, Esha lead list

Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, who shot to fame in 2019, has been named in both men's 10m air rifle as well as 50m rifle 3 positions. He is also in the Air rifle mixed team, making him the only rifle shooter to be taking part in 3 medal events. Pistol shooter Esha Singh is the only other Indian to be in 3 medal events.

Among rifle shooters, Divyansh Singh Panwar Ashi Chouksey are the two who will be in 2 medal events. Pistol shooters Sarabjot Singh, Shiva Narwal and Divya TS, all three of whom are in the mixed team event, will be in 2 medal events.

Rudrankksh, Swapnil in for Asiad, out for World Championships

Reigning World Champion Rudrankksh Patil finds himself in the Asian Games squad despite finishing fifth in the trials at the expense of Hriday Hazarika.

Rudrankksh, who won gold at the ISSF World Championship in October 2022, becoming only the second Indian to achieve the feat, however, will not be defending his title as he will be replaced by Hriday Hazarika at the World Championship this year.

At the Asian Games this year, Divyansh Singh Panwar is the other shooter in 10m rifle, while Swapnil Kusale, who also has earned a quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics, will compete in 50m rifle 3 positions with Akhil Sheoran. At the World Championships, Swapnil will be replaced by Niraj Kumar.