Manu Bhaker Headlines 35-Member Indian Squad for Asian Championships

Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker was the lone shooter to make the cut for two individual events in the 35-strong Indian squad announced on Monday for the 16th Asian Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, from August 16 to 30.

The other squads revealed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) were the line-ups for the ISSF Junior World Cup, to be held in India in September-October, and the Junior Asian Championships, which will coincide with the senior event.

The senior squad for the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) in Ningbo, China, was also released by the NRAI. That event will be held from September 7 to 15.

The senior squad for the marquee Asian competition comprises 35 members for 15 events, including three mixed team competitions.

Bhaker will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol and the women’s 25m pistol events.

Prominent names to have made it back to the senior squad include former men’s air rifle world champion Rudrankksh Patil and Olympians Anjum Moudgil (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Saurabh Chaudhary (men’s 10m air pistol), and Kynan Chenai (men’s Trap).

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The likes of Esha Singh (25m pistol), Mehuli Ghosh (air rifle), and Kiran Ankush Jadhav (air rifle) feature in both senior squads.

Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale and former Asian Games champion and Olympian Rahi Sarnobat have made it to the Ningbo-bound squad.

Olympian Raiza Dhillon is the only difference in the two 36-member junior squads announced by the NRAI. She makes the Delhi World Cup junior women’s skeet team in place of Mansi Raghuvanshi, who is in the junior ASC team, as Raiza will compete in the senior competition.