Indians Mairaj, Naruka in focus as ISSF Shotgun World Championship begins October 10
India’s skeet shooters will take the field at the Malakasa Shooting Range in Athens, as the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Shotgun 2025 begins on Friday with the first two qualifying rounds of the men’s and women’s Skeet competitions.
India’s men’s skeet team will be led by Olympians Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka, as well as Bhavtegh Singh Gill, completing the troika.
In the women’s section, Raiza Dhillon, Olympian and former Junior World Championship silver medalist, will spearhead the charge alongside Ganemat Sekhon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal.
Naruka, who has been in fine form following his performance at the Asian Championships in Shymkent, will join a formidable line-up of 121 shooters, headlined by Vincent Hancock of the United States, a four-time Olympic champion and three-time World Champion, widely regarded as one of the greatest skeet shooters in history.
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Meanwhile, Mairaj, India’s most successful international skeet shooter, will look to use his experience to win a third individual ISSF medal.
The women’s skeet competition will feature 63 athletes vying for top honours.
Raiza Dhillon enters the championship following her back-to-back silver medals at the Junior World Cup in Suhl and New Delhi, along with a strong fifth-place finish at the senior Lima World Cup earlier in the year.
Ganemat Sekhon, also a former Junior World Championship silver medalist, adds valuable depth and experience to the Indian contingent, as she also vies for a third individual ISSF medal.
Leading the global field is World No.1 Samantha Simonton of the USA, who won gold in Lonato and also secured silver in the Lima and Nicosia World Cup stages.
The Skeet qualification rounds will start at 11:30 am IST (October 10, 2025) with athletes firing 50 targets each on Day 1 and Day 2, followed by 25 targets on October 12.
After a total of 125 targets, the top six shooters in both men’s and women’s events will qualify for the finals scheduled for 5:30 pm IST (women’s) and 7:00 pm IST (men’s) on Sunday (October 12, 2025), where the new World Champions will be crowned.
Published on Oct 09, 2025