The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has started an elite national shooting camp, gathering 35 top rifle, pistol, and shotgun athletes for the upcoming ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China, and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The camp, which began on Saturday, will run until July 20 in phases to enhance India’s leading shooters before these major international events. Notable participants include Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, and Olympians Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Elavenil Valarivan.
To oversee the preparations, the NRAI has formed a coaching team with both international and Indian experts. The coaching lineup includes Olympic champion Peter Wilson for the trap squad, and Thomas Farnik, Jalena Arunovic, and Riccardo Filippelli leading the rifle, pistol, and skeet disciplines respectively. The Indian coaching group features Commonwealth Games gold medallist Samaresh Jung and former Olympian Anwer Sultan, supported by High Performance Director Pierre Beauchamp and High Performance Manager Ronak Pandit, along with an 11-member sports science team.
NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo emphasized the importance of the camp for Indian shooting, stating that the upcoming months are critical for the sport. The camp aims to ensure that the shooters peak at the right time for the World Cup and Asian Games. NRAI Secretary General Pawankumar Singh highlighted that the camp not only focuses on technical improvement but also on building unity among the athletes before the international season.
The training schedule at the national shooting range is staggered across disciplines, with the rifle and pistol squads training from July 12 to 17, the trap contingent from July 14 to 20, and the skeet team starting its specialized training on July 9. The camp includes established international shooters and emerging talents across all three disciplines, gearing up for the upcoming international competitions.
India views this national camp as the final high-performance preparation phase before the ISSF World Cup and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, aiming to continue its strong performances on the global shooting stage.
