Para shooter Avani Lekhara. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Star Indian para shooters Avani Lekhara and Manish Narwal will spearhead a 31-strong Indian contingent in the Para Shooting World Cup, the first-ever in the nation, which will get underway on Friday.
Lekhara made historical past on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, turning into the primary feminine athlete from India to high the rostrum on the Paralympic Games, whereas Narwal clinched the blended 50m pistol (SH1) gold on the quadrennial showpiece.
With the 2024 Games not far away, this is able to be one other alternative for the 2 ace shooters, who’ve certified for Paris, to gauge their preparations forward of the mega occasion.
With 44 nations and 267 shooters competing, the occasion, to be held on the Karni Singh Ranges right here, is the final occasion in the present Olympic cycle to bag a Paris quota. A complete of 20 Paris berths can be on provide.
Renowned para shooters from the world over, together with the 2008 Beijing Paralympic gold medallist in 10m air rifle (SH1), Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova, can be seen alongside India’s Lekhera, Rudransh Khandelwal, Narwal and Singhraj Adhana.
With groups from UAE, Russia and China additionally fielding sturdy squads, the competitors can be fierce, although Russia will take part below the banner of Neutral Participating Athletes (NPA).
Outgoing Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Deepa Malik termed the occasion a milestone for the expansion of para-sports in the nation.
“The world looks at us as a country with the potential to host world level para-sports events. I thank World Shooting Para Sport and the International Paralympic Committee for entrusting us with this faith,” stated Malik.
PCI secretary-general Gursharan Singh stated, “Shooting has been a sport which has always made the country proud at the international level. To host such a big event is never easy. India is continuously marching on the path of becoming a para sports superpower.”
