ISSF World Cup: Swapnil Kusale, Elavenil return to lead India in Munich
Paris Olympics bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale will lead the Indian squad along with comeback shooter Elavenil Valarivan at the season’s third ISSF World Cup, which will feature a galaxy of international stars, beginning in Munich from Tuesday.
Kusale fought his way back to the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event on the back of a good show on the domestic circuit.
Two-time Olympian Elavenil will be seen in international action for the first time since Paris, although she did make the trip to Buenos Aires and Lima as an RPO (Ranking Points Only) shooter.
Reigning Asian Games champion Palak in the women’s air pistol also makes it back to the team. There will be a few World Cup debuts like newly crowned women’s air rifle national champion Ananya Naidu.
There will be two new faces in the men’s air pistol—Aditya Malra and Nishant Rawat—as India explores its depth in the two disciplines ahead of bigger challenges later in the year.
A total of 695 athletes, including Olympic and World champions and legends of the sport from 78 countries, will participate in the World Cup.
The season began with a double-header in South America where Indian rifle and pistol shooters picked up 15 medals including six gold, helping the team finish a creditable second and third, respectively, on the standings.
The Munich leg will, however, present a much tougher challenge given the much wider presence of the world’s best shooters.
Legendary Chinese marksman Li Yuehong, the reigning Olympic champion and three-time Olympic medallist in the 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP), and 20-year-old Sheng Lihao, the reigning Olympic, world and Asian champion and world-record holder, will compete in the tournament.
China, winner of the first two legs, is bringing its men’s air pistol Olympic champion Xie Yu, in what is a 22-member squad.
Host Germany has fielded a strong 27-member contingent led by its pistol legend and former Olympic and world champion Christian Reitz.
Anna Janssen, their women’s air rifle qualification world record holder, would also be starting on home soil.
Another RFP legend Jean Quiquampoix, part of a 16-member French squad, will help complete the troika of legends who have completely dominated the event over the last decade or so.
The Koreans will also be there in full force with 19 shooters, including two of their three reigning women Olympic champions Yang Jiin (25m pistol) and Oh Yejin (10m air pistol).
Several Paris Olympic medallists like the USA’s Sagen Maddalena, Italy’s Paolo Monna and Danilo Sollazzo and Alexandra Le of Kazakhstan are also set to start in Munich.