A 12-member Indian shotgun squad is ready to participate in the ISSF World Cup Shotgun stage in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event kicks off with team arrivals on Saturday, featuring 284 athletes from 42 national Olympic committees competing in five Olympic events over 10 days. Eight Indian squad members will also join as RPO shooters for ranking points.
The competitions will commence with the men’s and women’s skeet qualifiers on May 4, 2026, followed by the finals the next day. The two trap finals are scheduled for May 9th, with the trap mixed team final set for May 10th, 2026. The Indian shotgun squad initiated their international campaign in Tangier, Morocco, during the first world cup stage in March.
On the first day of competitions, three Indian Olympians, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Anantjeet Singh Naruka, and Raiza Dhillon, will participate in the men’s and women’s skeet events. These shooters will be showcasing their skills in international competitions for the first time this year. Apart from facing strong Italian competitors, Indian shooters will challenge top marksmen from countries like Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Peru, and Qatar.
Kazakhstan, along with China and Russia represented by Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), will present tough competition for the Indian shooters, emphasizing the need for them to perform at their peak to secure podium finishes.
