LA 2028 Quest Begins: Manu Bhaker and Neeru Dhanda Lead India's Olympic Quota Hunt in Doha
India sends 54 shooters to the ISSF World Championship in Doha for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic quota hunt.
The road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics officially kicks off for Indian shooters as the nation prepares for the ISSF World Championship in Doha, Qatar. Starting November 1, the event serves as the primary gateway for athletes to secure their spots on the world's biggest sporting stage. Leading the charge for India are two-time Olympic champion Manu Bhaker and the sensational Asian Games star Neeru Dhanda.
The Stakes: 36 Olympic Quotas Up for Grabs
This championship is not just about medals; it is the most significant qualification opportunity of the LA 2028 cycle. A total of 36 Olympic quotas are at stake, with three available in each of the 12 Olympic shooting events. However, there is a crucial caveat: earning a quota for the country does not automatically guarantee a spot for the athlete. The final decision rests with the national federations, who hold the authority to select the shooters who will actually compete in Los Angeles.
India's Powerhouse Squad
India is sending a formidable contingent of 54 shooters to Doha. Out of these, 35 athletes will compete across all 12 Olympic disciplines, while 19 will feature in non-Olympic events.
The Heavy Hitters
- Manu Bhaker: The Olympic medalist will be eyeing success in both the women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol competitions.
- Neeru Dhanda: Coming off a historic campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan—where she bagged two gold medals and a silver—Dhanda is one of the most in-form athletes in the trap event.
- Swapnil Kusale: The Paris 2024 bronze medalist is part of the squad, though he will be competing in the non-Olympic men's 50m rifle prone event.
Other Key Contenders
The squad also features Asian Games mixed 10m air pistol gold medalists Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet Sohlot. In the rifle categories, Asian Games silver medalists Elavenil Valarivan and Himanshu Dhillon will be in action. Additionally, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar will compete in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions, and Olympian Anjum Moudgil will represent India in the women's equivalent. In the shotgun events, Anant Jeet Singh Naruka will lead the charge in the men's skeet.
Notably, Paris 2024 bronze medalist Sarabjot Singh has not been included in the squad for this event.
Complete India Squad for ISSF World Championship
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, Udaivir Singh Jaijee
- Women’s Trap: Neeru Dhanda, Manisha Keer, Pragati Dubey
Mixed Team Events
- 10m Air Rifle: Parth Mane-Shambhavi Kshirsagar, Himanshu Dhillon-Sonam Maskar
- 10m Air Pistol: Ravin Kumar-Sainyam, Jaypal Malviya-Suruchi Singh
- Skeet: Mairaj Ahmad Khan-Raiza Dhillon, Bhavtegh Singh Gill-Ganemat Sekhon
- Trap: Zoravar Singh Sandhu-Neeru Dhanda, Vivaan Kapoor-Manisha Keer
Non-Olympic Events
- 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