New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday announced their 30-member Indian shooting contingent for the upcoming 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

The shooting disciplines will be contested from September 17 to October 3 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Range.

While all selected athletes successfully cleared the stringent qualification slots laid down by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), the final roster stands at 30 athletes (15 Men and 15 Women) due to strict dynamic quota caps enforced by the Games' Organising Committee.

Following extensive deliberations and a detailed event-wise assessment, the Committee identified a select group of athletes capable of competing across multiple disciplines. This strategic approach enables India to maximise participation across all available events while maintaining the strongest possible medal prospects in both individual and team competitions. The approved double starters are Vidarsa K. Vinod, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil and Manu Bhaker, along with Esha Singh.

The final squad reflects a careful balance of current form, international performance, team composition and medal potential. The Selection Committee, in consultation with the High Performance team, sought to optimise India's competitiveness across all shooting disciplines and ensure the strongest possible challenge for podium finishes at the Games.

Speaking of the squad selected for the Asian Games. NRAI President Kalikesh Singh Deo said, 'Selecting this team was a challenging task given the exceptional depth and quality of talent in Indian shooting today.

Given the 30-athlete cap for a programme that accommodates participation across 36 event slots, the Selection Committee undertook a detailed event-wise evaluation to ensure that the final squad provides India with the strongest possible representation and the best opportunity for competitive success across disciplines.

The final squad reflects the strength, depth and versatility of Indian shooting. We are confident that this team will represent India with distinction and make the nation proud in Aichi-Nagoya.'

The final contingent comprises 12 shotgun shooters and 18 rifle/pistol shooters. The complete squad breakdown is as follows:

Rifle and Pistol Squad

10M Air Rifle Men Parth Rakesh Mane Himanshu Dhillon Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil

10M Air Rifle Women Elavenil Valarivan Sonam Uttam Maskar Vidarsa K Vinod

50M Rifle 3 Positions Men Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar Niraj Kumar Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil

50M Rifle 3 Positions Women Ashi Chouksey Vidarsa K Vinod Tilottama Sen

10M Air Pistol Men Kedarling B. Uchaganve Gaurav Kamaljeet

10M Air Pistol Women Suruchi Esha Singh Manu Bhaker

25M Rapid Fire Pistol Men Anish

25M Sports Pistol Women Esha Singh Manu Bhaker Rahi Sarnobat

10M Air Rifle Mixed Team Parth Rakesh Mane Elavenil Valarivan

10M Air Pistol Mixed Team Kedarling B. Uchaganve Suruchi

Shotgun Squad

Trap Men Kynan Chenai Ahvar Rizvi Shapath Bharadwaj

Trap Women Neeru Manisha Keer Aashima Ahlawat

Skeet Men Anantjeet Singh Naruka Bhavtegh Singh Gill Mairaj Ahmad Khan

Skeet Women Parinaaz Dhaliwal Raiza Dhillon Maheshwari Chauhan

India's shooters have continued to deliver strong performances on the international circuit in recent months, underlining the country's growing strength across rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines. More recently, Indian shooters secured multiple podium finishes at the recently concluded ISSF World Cup circuit.

This was highlighted by Esha Singh's gold medal and world-record performance in the women's 25m pistol event at the Munich World Cup. Suruchi Singh and Esha also combined for a memorable gold-silver finish in the women's 10m air pistol event, reinforcing the depth and consistency of the Indian shooting programme ahead of the Asian Games. (ANI)