Tangier (Morocco), Mar 26 (PTI) India’s skeet shooters will have their task cut out as they face a strong line-up of participants on the first day of the season-opening ISSF Shotgun World Cup here on Friday.
The event will feature some of the world’s most accomplished athletes competing in a strong field at the Club Tangérois de Tir.
Day one of competition will start with 75 targets for both men and women which will be followed by 50 targets and the finals on Sunday.
A highly competitive field consisting of Olympic and world champions have entered the competition.
India have entered the maximum quota of six athletes in both men and women along with two shooters each in both men and women who will be competing for ranking points.
The women’s field is packed with stars with reigning Olympic champion Francisca Crovetto Chadid of Chile, who is returning to international competition after maternity leave, headlining the competition along with world champion Samantha Simonton of the United States.
Diana Bacosi of Italy, a double Olympic and double world champion, also starts and former world champion Dania Jo Vizzi of USA, Kazakhstan’s world championship medallist Assem Orynbay are among other shooters in the fray.
The Indian team comprises Olympian Maheshwari Chauhan and siblings Darshana Rathore and Yashasvi Rathore.
Yashasvi, the youngest of the two, was placed second in the 68th Nationals and also won silver in the junior category at the Asian Championships in Shymkent last year.
Areeba Khan and Mansi Raghuwanshi will also be competing, but only for ranking points.
In the men’s event, an 82-strong field entered the competition with 2025 World Championship bronze medallist Emil Kjeldgaard Petersen of Denmark headlining the list.
Last season’s World Cup finals winner Christian Elliot of USA, Italy’s double Olympic champion Gabriele Rossetti, Tokyo silver medallist Jesper Hansen also of Denmark and former world champion and Asian Games champion Masoud Saleh Al-Athba of Qatar are among the top names in the competition.
Representing Canada for the first time will be Angad Vir Singh Bajwa who was in India colours till last year.
India’s hopes will rest on the experienced Man Singh and Parampal Singh Guron along with Jyotiraditya Singh Sisodiya who is making his senior international debut.
Man, a former Asian champion, is making a comeback into the team after three years while Parampal last represented India in 2022.
Jyotiraditya won a junior bronze in his last international outing at the Shymkent Asian Championships last year and will be raring to go on his senior India debut.
Sukhbir Singh Harika and junior national champion Harmehar Singh Lally will be competing for ranking points.
With Olympic champions, world champions, experienced finalists and emerging talents all competing, the tournament promises a compelling start to the season.
As athletes begin their journey towards Olympic qualification pathways, all eyes will be on Tangier to see who sets the early benchmark for the year ahead. PTI AH AH UNG
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