Top five medal prospects for India in shooting at Paris Olympics 2024

India has sent a record-breaking 21 shooters at Paris Olympics 2024.

India’s quest for greatness in the Olympics will be in Paris this year, with 117 athletes across 16 disciplines boarding the flight. Among these, shooting will be a primary medal prospect, boasting a record-breaking tally of 21 Olympic quotas. Expectations are high, considering the performance of Indian shooters in recent years.

However, Indian shooters have a history of making mistakes during the Olympics, particularly in the closing stages. Fans have unpleasant memories of the poor performances in Rio and Tokyo. Despite being favourites, the shooters failed to bring home a medal in the last two Olympics. Nevertheless, the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games have shown glimpses of promising youngsters who are potential medal hopefuls.

Let’s look at five shooters who’s on-target shots can fetch medals for India at Paris Olympics 2024.

5. Sandeep Singh

There was a lot of talk about the shooters who performed well enough in the four stages of the National Selection Trials to make it to Paris. The most unexpected outcome was Sandeep Singh, who placed first in the men’s 10m air rifle selections, defeating Arjun Babuta, Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar, and former world champion Rudrankksh Patil.

There were a few voices questioning the selection of Sandeep Singh over Patil, who even wrote to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) to choose him instead, citing Sandeep’s inexperience.

However, the man from the Indian Army, who had worked in Siachen, was India’s best shooter in the air rifle event at the Munich World Cup held last month. With hopes on the 28-year-old, India will be backing Sandeep to repeat the heroics of Abhinav Bindra.

Also read: Top 10 Indian athletes who will miss Paris Olympics 2024

4. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar

In the National Olympic Shooting Trials, Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar continued his impressive streak in the men’s rifle 3-position event with a score of 591. The 23-year-old started the first trial with a mediocre score of 576, but he then improved to scores of 595 and 590 in the last two trials which secured his place at the Games.

With two gold, one silver, and one bronze, Tomar was the most successful shooter from India in the Asian Games in 2023. The experience of seizing important moments to shoot with precision will be key in the Paris Olympics.

The man from Madhya Pradesh has overhauled the World record score during the trials and won the Baku World Championships. Indian fans would be hoping to see if he could repeat the feat in Paris.

3. Esha Singh

They say a young calf knows no fear, and a perfect example of this proverb is 19-year-old Esha Singh. The child prodigy shot to fame when she became the youngest national champion at just 13 years old. She has continued to break records in the international arena, winning four medals in the 2023 Asian Games.

The shooter from Hyderabad clinched twin World Championships in the 10m air pistol mixed team event and the 25m pistol event in Baku last year. Although she missed out on a spot in the mixed team event, she remains a formidable force in the 25m pistol event.

Esha has also secured gold in both the Junior and Senior World Championships. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Esha repeats her success in Paris as well.

2. Manu Bhaker

Manu Bhaker was the name that got the biggest attention going into the Tokyo Olympics. The shooter had won 10m air pistol gold at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the 2021 Junior World Championships, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games apart from multiple senior World Cup medals from 2018 to 2021. But her pistol suffered a technical snag during the event, and she returned empty-handed from Tokyo.

Determined as ever, the 22-year-old has made her intention clear and has reunited with her coach Jaspal Rana to bring her mojo back. It was evident in the way the Haryana girl won the World Championships in 2023.

Bhaker would want to replicate it in Paris as well. She will be the lone Indian shooter who will be participating in more than one individual event (10m Air Pistol and 25m Pistol).

Also Read: Manu Bhaker headlines India’s 15-member Rifle and Pistol shooting team for Paris Olympics 2024

1. Sift Kaur Samra

Probably an answer to India’s problem of performing under pressure is the newest sensation of Indian shooting, Sift Kaur Samra. She holds the world record in the women’s 50m rifle 3 position event. At the Hangzhou Asian Games held last year, Samra defeated the current world champion and broke the previous record by an astounding 2.6 points.

An example of her resilience was on display as she came back from being in sixth position after five shots to win the gold in the next 10 shots. She has also cleared the NEET examination to get into a medical college shows her ability to concentrate precisely to achieve things.

The 22-year-old dominated the four-stage national selection trials and has been in great form as she also took home the bronze medal from the Munich World Cup. She will be gunning for India’s first women’s shooting medal.

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