Manu Bhaker and Neeru Dhanda lead India's 54-member squad at ISSF World Championship in Doha

Manu Bhaker and Neeru Dhanda will headline India’s 54-member squad at the ISSF World Championship in Doha, Qatar, starting on 1 November. The event will feature rifle, pistol and shotgun shooters and will mark the beginning of the qualification pathway for shooters for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Olympic quota stakes

The World Championships will be the biggest qualification opportunity of the LA 2028 cycle in shooting, according to Olympics.com. As many as 36 Olympic quotas are at stake, with three available in each of 12 Olympic shooting events. Athletes earning their countries an LA2028 Olympics quota would not guarantee their participation, as national federations have the authority to select them or not.

India’s squad and event coverage

As many as 54 Indian shooters will be competing across several Olympic and non-Olympic events at Doha. India will be featuring across all 12 Olympic disciplines, with a total of 35 Indian shooters in action, including Manu in action in women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol competition. The non-Olympic events will witness 19 Indians in action. Neeru will be heading into Doha after an incredible Asian Games 2026 campaign in Japan, winning two historic trap gold medals and a silver. Asian Games mixed 10 m air pistol gold medalists Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet Sohlot will also be in action. Amongst the participants in the women’s and men’s 10 m air rifle will be the Asian Games silver medallists Elavenil Valarivan and Himanshu Dhillon. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar will feature in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions, while Olympian Anjum Moudgil will feature in the women’s event. India’s shotgun challenge will also feature Anant Jeet Singh Naruka in the men’s skeet competition. Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Swapnil Kusale will also be competing, but will be featuring in the non-Olympic men’s 50 m rifle prone event. Sarabjot Singh, another Paris 2024 bronze medallist, has not made it to the squad.

Athlete background

Manu Bhaker is an Indian sport shooter with two Olympic medals. At the 2024 Olympics, she became the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal by clinching bronze in the 10m pistol event. She won another bronze in the 10m pistol mixed team, becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympic Games. Neeru Dhanda is an Indian sport shooter who competes in trap shooting. She won two gold and a silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games.

Regional context

India competed at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. This was the country’s 20th consecutive appearance in the competition, having made its debut at the inaugural 1951 Asian Games. The Indian contingent consisted of 495 athletes competing in 36 sports. Manu Bhaker and kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat were the nation’s flag-bearers during the opening ceremony. Neeru Dhanda was the flag-bearer for the closing ceremony. India finished fourth in the medal table with 85 medals including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals. It was India’s second highest medal tally at the Asian Games after the 2022 edition.

India's squad by event

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Sources

• kalingatv.com

• news.webindia123.com

• Photo: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, GODL-India (Wikimedia Commons)