India will field 54 shooters at the ISSF World Championship 2026 in Doha, Qatar, with Manu Bhaker, Neeru Dhanda, Elavenil Valarivan and other leading shooters aiming for success at the first major qualification opportunity for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The ISSF World Championship 2026 will begin in Doha, Qatar, on November 1, with Indian shooting stars Manu Bhaker and Neeru Dhanda leading the country’s campaign. The championship will be a significant event in the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with 36 Olympic quota places available across 12 Olympic shooting events.
According to a report by ANI, India will send a 54-member shooting contingent to compete across Olympic and non-Olympic events. Of these, 35 shooters will compete in Olympic disciplines, while another 19 will participate in non-Olympic events.
Manu Bhaker and Neeru Dhanda Headline India’s Challenge
Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker will be among India’s leading contenders in Doha. She is scheduled to compete in the women’s 10m air pistol and women’s 25m pistol events, continuing her campaign on the international shooting circuit.
Neeru Dhanda will also be a major name to watch after an outstanding performance at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, where she won two historic gold medals in trap events and a silver medal. She will compete in the women’s trap event alongside Manisha Keer and Pragati Dubey.
India’s squad also features several shooters who delivered strong performances at the Asian Games 2026. Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet Sohlot, the mixed 10m air pistol gold medallists, will compete in their respective pistol events.
Asian Games silver medallists Elavenil Valarivan and Himanshu Dhillon will represent India in the 10m air rifle events. Olympians Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Anjum Moudgil will compete in the men’s and women’s 50m rifle 3 positions events, respectively.
36 Olympic Quota Places at Stake
The ISSF World Championship 2026 represents an important opportunity for shooters to secure their countries’ places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
A total of 36 Olympic quota places will be available, with three places allocated in each of the 12 Olympic shooting events covering rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.
However, winning a quota place does not automatically guarantee an individual shooter’s participation at the Olympics. The quota is awarded to the country, while the respective national federation retains the authority to select the athlete who will represent it at the Games.
With competition expected across all 12 Olympic disciplines, the championship will be one of the most significant qualification opportunities of the LA28 Olympic cycle for Indian shooting.
India’s Full Squad for ISSF World Championship 2026
Olympic Events
Men’s 10m Air Rifle
- Parth Mane
- Himanshu Dhillon
- Paarth Makhija
Women’s 10m Air Rifle
- Shambhavi Kshirsagar
- Sonam Maskar
- Elavenil Valarivan
Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions
- Niraj Kumar
- Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar
- Akhil Sheoran
Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions
- Vidarsa K Vinod
- Ashi Chouksey
- Anjum Moudgil
Men’s 10m Air Pistol
- Ravin Kumar
- Jaypal Malviya
- Kamaljeet Sohlot
Women’s 10m Air Pistol
- Sainyam Vij
- Suruchi Singh
- Manu Bhaker
Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol
- Suraj Sharma
- Gurpreet Singh
- Bhavesh Shekhawat
Women’s 25m Pistol
- Esha Singh
- Manu Bhaker
- Divya TS
Men’s Skeet
- Mairaj Ahmad Khan
- Bhavtegh Singh Gill
- Anant Jeet Singh Naruka
Women’s Skeet
- Parinaaz Dhaliwal
- Ganemat Sekhon
- Raiza Dhillon
Men’s Trap
- Zoravar Singh Sandhu
- Vivaan Kapoor
- Udai vir Singh Jaijee
Women’s Trap
- Neeru Dhanda
- Manisha Keer
- Pragati Dubey
Mixed Team Events
10m Air Rifle Mixed Team
- Parth Mane and Shambhavi Kshirsagar
- Himanshu Dhillon and Sonam Maskar
10m Air Pistol Mixed Team
- Ravin Kumar and Sainyam Vij
- Jaypal Malviya and Suruchi Singh
Skeet Mixed Team
- Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Raiza Dhillon
- Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Ganemat Sekhon
Trap Mixed Team
- Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Neeru Dhanda
- Vivaan Kapoor and Manisha Keer
India’s Squad for Non-Olympic Events
Alongside the Olympic disciplines, Indian shooters will participate in several non-Olympic events at the Doha championship.
Men’s 50m Rifle Prone
- Sidharth Gaur
- Swapnil Kusale
- Akhil Sheoran
Women’s 50m Rifle Prone
- Ayushi Podder
- Priya Singh
- Sift Kaur Samra
Men’s 50m Pistol
- Saurabh Chaudhary
- Amanpreet Singh
- Ravinder Singh
Women’s 50m Pistol
- Aishwarya Balehosur
- Parisha Gupta
Men’s 25m Centre Fire Pistol
- Amanpreet Singh
- Ankur Goel
- Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu
Men’s 25m Standard Pistol
- Harsh Gupta
- Jatin
- Udit Joshi
Women’s 25m Standard Pistol
- Simranpreet Kaur Brar
- Manvi Jain
- Niveditha Nair
Swapnil Kusale Returns to International Action
Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale will also feature in India’s contingent, competing in the men’s 50m rifle prone event, a non-Olympic discipline at this championship.
Meanwhile, Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Sarabjot Singh has not been included in the announced squad.
India’s broad representation across rifle, pistol and shotgun events underlines the depth of its shooting programme as the country’s athletes begin their pursuit of qualification opportunities for the 2028 Olympics.
What to Expect from India at Doha 2026
With experienced Olympians, emerging talents and recent Asian Games medallists in the squad, India will aim to make a strong impression at the ISSF World Championship 2026.
Manu Bhaker’s performances in the pistol events, Neeru Dhanda’s form in trap shooting and the participation of leading rifle shooters will be among the key storylines to follow.
The championship begins on November 1 in Doha, Qatar, and will mark an important step in India’s preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Source: ANI
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