ISSF Munich World Cup India squad: Olympics medallist Swapnil, Asiad Palak return; Rudrankksh, Aishwary pull out

Paris Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale and reigning Asian Games champion Palak are back in the Indian team after the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced a 23-member squad for the Rifle/Pistol International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Munich scheduled in the first week of June.

Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and Kiran Jadhav will be the only members of the squad to shoot two individual events, making the cut in both the women’s 10m and 25m pistol events and men’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions, respectively.

Also making it back to the team will be Sandeep Singh in men’s air rifle, who will be seen in India colours after the Paris Olympics, just like Swapnil. 

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The Indian rifle and pistol squad recently returned from a two-legged combined ISSF World Cup stage in Argentina and Peru, with 15 medals, including six gold. They were second in the standings in Argentina and third in Peru. A total of 13 members from that squad find themselves in the Munich team, with no changes seen in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) and 25m pistol competitions only.

There will also be as many as three India debuts in Munich. National champion Ananya Naidu of Maharashtra gets a chance to extend a fine run of form in the domestic circuit onto the international stage. Two men’s air pistol shooters, Haryana’s Aditya Malra, who recently picked up the Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Mixed Team title, and Army marksman Nishant Rawat, will also be seen in senior India colours for the very first time.

Two shooters, Rudrankksh Patil and Aishwary Tomar, have voluntarily withdrawn from the squad.