Road to Doha: Manu Bhaker, Himanshu Dhillon and Top Shooters Begin World Championship Prep in Delhi
India's top shooters, including Manu Bhaker and Himanshu Dhillon, start a high-intensity preparatory camp in Delhi for the Doha 2026 World Championship.
India's elite shooting squad is gearing up for a massive global challenge. The athletes selected for the ISSF World Championship Doha 2026 are set to commence a rigorous preparatory camp at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi starting October 22. This camp serves as the final domestic training phase before the shooters head to Qatar, where the championships will take place from November 1 to 14, 2026.
The Stakes: A Gateway to Los Angeles 2028
This is not just another tournament. The World Championship in Doha marks the official start of the Olympic qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. With 36 Olympic quota places up for grabs across various events, the pressure is on for the Indian contingent to secure their spots early.
Dr. Pierre Beauchamp, the High Performance Director of the NRAI, emphasized that the camp is designed to fine-tune performance. He noted that the focus will be on establishing clear benchmarks and improving the "qualification-to-final conversion" and "podium conversion" percentages to ensure the athletes are technically, physically, and mentally prepared for the highest level of international competition.
Detailed Training Schedule
To ensure specialized attention, the preparatory programme has been divided into phases based on the disciplines:
- October 22 to 29: 10m Rifle and Pistol athletes, Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol squad, and Skeet athletes.
- October 22 to 31: 50m Rifle and Women’s 25m Pistol athletes.
- October 28 to November 4: The Trap contingent.
The Indian Squad: Who is Training?
The camp brings together a powerhouse of talent across rifle, pistol, and shotgun events:
Rifle Events
In the 10m Air Rifle category, the men's team features Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, and Paarth Makhija, while the women's side includes Shambhavi Kshirsagar, Sonam Uttam Maskar, and Elavenil Valarivan. For the 50m Rifle, Niraj Kumar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Akhil Sheoran lead the men, with Vidarsa K Vinod, Ashi Chouksey, and Anjum Moudgil representing the women.
Pistol Events
The 10m Air Pistol squad sees Ravin Kumar, Jaypal Malviya, and Kamaljeet for the men, and the formidable trio of Sainyam, Suruchi, and Manu Bhaker for the women. In the 25m Rapid Fire/Pistol events, the men's team consists of Suraj Sharma, Gurpreet Singh, and Bhavesh Shekhawat, while the women's squad features Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, and Divya T.S.
Shotgun Events (Skeet and Trap)
The Skeet contingent includes Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, and Anantjeet Singh Naruka (Men), and Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon, and Raiza Dhillon (Women). Finally, the Trap team, joining on October 28, comprises Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Vivaan Kapoor, and Udaiveer Singh Jaijee for the men, and Neeru, Manisha Keer, and Pragati Dubey for the women.