Participation in Nationals not mandatory for Paris 2024 shooters, selection trials to decide India national team eligibility

The shooters who competed in the Paris Olympics have been give some more time by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) to get ready for the season ahead. Thus, the National championship being held in Delhi and Bhopal would not be mandatory for them.

However, it would be mandatory for the Olympic shooters to participate in the selection trials set to be conducted in January-February and thereafter to be eligible for the national team.

With the first World Cups in rifle, pistol and shotgun scheduled to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Lima, Peru, in April, the NRAI would consider scores shot from the third Olympic trials, specifically for the Olympians of Paris.

For rifle and pistol, the selection would be on the basis of the average of four of the last five scores within a period of 180 days.

The NRAI has also announced that it would have the top three shooters for the ‘A’ team, and the next three for the “B’ team. It would have the prerogative to field any team of its choice in international competition, presumably to prepare a bunch of shooters for the Continental and World Championships.

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The national federation also expects the shooters to be clear about being eligible for the senior or junior events in advance. Once the choice is made, the shooters may have to stick to it for the season.

There will be bonus points for placings in the finals, of different value, for the different international and national competitions which would be added to the qualification scores of that event.

Shooters who are in the top-10 of the national rankings would alone be eligible to compete internationally in the designated competitions, even at their own cost, including the non-Olympic events.

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The NRAI has given itself a degree of flexibility in making combinations for mixed events, from among the top-2 male and female shooters, wherever two teams can be fielded.

For shotgun selection, bonus points will be added to the qualification scores only for the top three positions. The shotgun shooters will have to compete in one mandatory trial or event, apart from having three other scores, of which two would be considered for selection.

In shotgun also, the NRAI would have the prerogative to field an ‘A’ or ‘B’ team, in international meets.

Apart from the World Cups, there will be Asian Championships and World Championships in 2025.