Latest news with #RaizaDhillon
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Olympians Raiza, Anantjeet return as 12-member shotgun team for Lonato World Cup announced
Paris Olympians and Skeet shooters Raiza Dhillon and Anantjeet Singh Naruka are back in the Indian team as the selection committee of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) proposed a 12-member shotgun squad for the year's final International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup scheduled between July 4-14 in Lonato Del Garda, Italy. Among those who competed in the third Nicosia shotgun World Cup earlier this month, where India returned with its first ever ISSF medal (bronze) in the newest Olympic Trap mixed team event, only the seasoned Mairaj Ahmad Khan in men's Skeet and Maheshwari Chauhan in women's Skeet have retained their spots. Making yet another comeback will be the indomitable veteran Zoravar Singh Sandhu in men's Trap, as will 2018 Jakarta Asiad silver medallist Lakshay Sheoran, alongside him. READ: Inspired by Abhinav Bindra, Shambhavi beats double Olympic medallist at Junior Worlds and wants to follow in her footsteps Ganemat Sekhon, India's most accomplished international woman Skeet Shooter with five senior ISSF medals, including two gold, will also be seen in action after missing out in Nicosia. The Trap mixed team responsibilities will rest on the shoulders of Neeru Dhanda and Lakshay Sheoran and Preeti Rajak and Zoravar respectively. The other members of the team are Pragati Dubey (women's Trap), Jaswinder Singh (men's Trap) and Bhavtegh Singh Gill (men's Skeet). The ISSF circuit has so far seen two Rifle/Pistol World Cup stages, three Shotgun World Cups and one combined Junior World Cup where Indian shooters have bagged a total of 27 medals including nine gold. They also topped the Junior World Cup standings and finished second and third in the first two senior combined world cups respectively. TEAM INDIA SQUAD Skeet Men: Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmed Khan, Bhavtegh Singh Gill Skeet Women: Raiza Dhillon, Ganemat Sekhon, Maheshwari Chauhan Trap Men: Lakshay Sheoran, Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Jaswinder Singh Trap Women: Neeru Dhanda, Pragati Dubey, Preeti Rajak
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Indian juniors brace up for year's first World Cup in Suhl
New Delhi, A first batch of 40 Indian shooters and support staff will leave for the blue-riband event of the junior international shooting calendar, the ISSF World Cup, in Suhl, Germany, on Saturday. The official arrivals are scheduled for May 19 while competitions begin from May 20 and will conclude on May 26. India, who finished on top in two of the three ISSF junior events last year, have fielded the largest contingent of 57 shooters, who will be accompanied by 21 officials, including coaches and support staff. A second batch of 38 members will leave for Germany on Sunday. Suhl, a small city with around 40,000 residents right in the centre of Germany, has long been the driving force of the junior international shooting circuit and attracts the best of the future stars in the sport. Many Olympic and world champions have been unearthed in Suhl. After an absence in the Olympic year last year, the Suhl junior world cup is back with a bang attracting over 630 athletes from 59 countries, including all the strong nations of the sport. The 50m rifle prone event for junior men and women kicks off the competitions on day one. The trap mixed team final will be the last medal event of the tournament. Olympian Raiza Dhillon and mixed team trap bronze medallist in the recently concluded Nicosia Shotgun World Cup, Sabeera Harris, will be among the most prominent names in the strong Indian side. Others include Naamya Kapoor, who was a junior world champion at 13, reigning double junior world champion Divanshi , reigning junior world champion in the 25m pistol Mukesh Nellavalli, Asian junior champion Harmehar Lally and multiple junior ISSF medallists Shubham Bisla and Abhinav Chaudhary , among others. India had emerged on top of the last Suhl Junior World Cup in 2023 with six gold, six silver and three bronze medals. One of the coaches leaving on Saturday, double Olympian and multiple-time ISSF medallist Sanjeev Rajput, spoke about the squad's preparations. "The entire squad has been training very hard at the national camp and it is good that some of them are now seniors in the junior circuit. "Their experience will help those who are making their first trip to such a big tournament and imposing venue. The youngsters are otherwise excited and raring to go," he said. A total of 36 shooters are going on government costs while 21 will go at their own cost. Each country can have only three shooters contending for a medal in an event while two teams each are allowed in mixed team competitions. The others will shoot for ranking points only.
