New Delhi, February 22, 2025 – Star pistol shooter Manu Bhaker will captain a 35-member Indian shooting contingent at the ISSF World Cups in Buenos Aires, Argentina (April 1-11) and Lima, Peru (April 13-22).
Strong Squad with Paris Olympians
Bhaker, recently awarded the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna for her two bronze medals in Paris, will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events. She will be joined by top shooters like Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu, Esha Singh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Sift Kaur Samra.
Training Camp & Expert Coaching
To ensure top performance, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has scheduled a training camp at Karni Singh Shooting Range from March 14. Veteran shooters Jaspal Rana (high-performance coach for 25m pistol) and Jitu Rai (10m air pistol coach) have been appointed to guide the squad, focusing on long-term preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Busy International Season Ahead
NRAI revealed that the 2025 season will feature:
Three ISSF World Cup stages
Two junior World Cups, including one in New Delhi in September
16th Asian Championships in Kazakhstan in August
ISSF World Championships (October-November)
NRAI secretary-general Sultan Singh stressed the importance of raising performance standards and expressed confidence in the squad. “We believe our shooters will shine in the international season openers,” he said.
