New Delhi, June 11: National Rifle Association of India announced a 15-member Rifle and Pistol team Tuesday, following a meeting of the senior selection committee, which was held virtually.

The women’s pistol ace Manu Bhaker now going to be a two-time Olympian. She would be the only athlete at the Paris Olympics, participating in more than one individual event -- women’s 10m air pistol and women’s 25m pistol.

The team has eight shooters in the rifle discipline and seven in pistol. All the team members, along with the coaches and support staff, are currently in a camp in Volmerange-Les-Mines, France, mainly aimed at acclimatisation and hard-training before they take a two-week break back home, the NRAI release read.

NRAI will also be looking to exchange the spare quota place that has been freed up because of Manu making it to two events, appropriately as per ISSF rules, it added.

India have earned 21 quotas in Shooting, a record for the upcoming Paris 24 Olympic Games. Besides all 16 possible shots at a medal, in eight individual rifle and pistol events, India will also have a record five starts across the four individual shotgun events.

In addition, India will also field five mixed teams, two each in rifle and pistol and one in shotgun.

"The selection committee met and deliberated at length. After deliberating at length, we feel we have selected the best team on current form as per merit and sticking to the policy. We are confident that everything has been put in place for the team to deliver. Given our depth in Rifle and Pistol, some very good shooters are not part of the squad. However, they will have a chance to make a comeback. We wish the squad all the very best," said Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, senior vice president of NRAI.

K Sultan Singh, Secretary General, NRAI, added, "The team is in good form & battle ready, consisting of as many as four Olympians and other senior shooters as well as a lot of extremely promising, confident & matured young talent. They have been training very systematically for a long time under the guidance and support of the entire training squad of the HPD, foreign coaches, national coaches, the sports science team, the physios etc. who have been steadfastly & minutely working towards one goal and that is to have a successful podium finish. We are confident that the team will make the Nation very proud in Paris.”

The Shotgun team will also be announced soon after the on-going Lonato International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup.

The Indian Rifle and Pistol Team for Paris Olympics 2024:

Rifle: Sandeep Singh & Arjun Babuta (10m Air Rifle M); Elavenil Valarivan & Ramita (10m Air Rifle W); Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil (50m Rifle 3 Positions W); Aishwary Tomar & Swapnil Kusale (50m Rifle 3 Positions M).

Pistol: Sarabjot Singh & Arjun Cheema (10m Air Pistol M); Manu Bhaker & Rhythm Sangwan (10m Air Pistol W); Anish Bhanwal & Vijayveer Sidhu (25m RFP M); Manu Bhaker & Esha Singh (25m Pistol W).

(IANS)

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