NEW DELHI — The global royalty of Rifle/Pistol
sport shooting, is set to descend on one of its most hallowed turfs Munich’s
Olympic Shooting range for the third International Shooting Sport Federation
(ISSF) World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) stage, set for June 10-15.
A massive
695 athletes, among them a constellation of Olympic and World champions and
legends of the sport from 78 countries, will make feature in Munich World Cup.
There are 10 finals on the roster and competitions begin on Tuesday.
The season
began with a double-header in South America where Indian Rifle and Pistol
shooters picked up 15 medals, including six gold, helping the team finish a
creditable second and third respectively on the standings. The Munich leg will,
however, present a much tougher challenge given the much wider presence of the
world’s best shooters.
While many
stars like Li would be making their first appearance on the ISSF circuit in
Munich after the Paris Olympics last year, India, who have fielded a 22-strong
team across the 10 events, including the two mixed team events, will also look
forward to a few anticipated comebacks.
Prominent
among them will be Swapnil Kusale, the Paris bronze medallist in the men’s 50m
rifle 3 positions (3P), who has fought his way back into the team with some
great scores on the domestic circuit.
Two-time
Olympian Elavenil Valarivan will also be seen in international competitive
action for the first time since Paris, although she did make the trip to Buenos
Aires and Lima as an RPO shooter.
Reigning
Asian Games champion Palak in the women’s air pistol, also makes it back to the
team and a few world cup debuts, like that of newly crowned women’s air rifle
national champion Ananya Naidu and the two new faces at this level in men’s air
pistol-Aditya Malra and Nishant Rawat, are also to look forward to, as India
look to continue to explore their depth in the two disciplines, ahead of bigger
challenges later in the year.
Among the
constellation of stars, none shines brighter than two Chinese marksmen, the
legendary Li Yuehong, reigning Olympic champion and three-time Olympic medalist
in the 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) and Sheng Lihao, the reigning Olympic, World
and Asian champion, world-record holder and a 20-year-old air-rifle sensation.
In fact, in
his last outing in Munich last year, Sheng set a new finals world record in his
pet 10m air rifle and is coming off yet another World Cup win, in Lima. Li
would be appearing at this level for the first time after his Paris Olympics
gold.
The Munich
World Cup, set at a time when international shooters are generally nearing
their peak and given its legacy and favourable location, like always has
attracted the who’s who of Rifle and Pistol shooting. Every strong shooting
nation has sent its strongest available squads.
China,
outright winners of the first two legs, besides Li and Sheng, are also bringing
their men’s air pistol Olympic champion Xie Yu, in what is also a 22-member
squad. Sheng, by the way, is also the mixed air rifle Olympic champion but his
partner in Paris, Huang Yuting, will be missing in action.
Hosts
Germany have also fielded a strong 27-member contingent led by their pistol
legend and former Olympic and World champion Christian Reitz. Anna Janssen,
their women’s air rifle qualification world record holder, would also be
starting on home soil.
Another RFP
legend Jean Quiquampoix, part of a 16-member French squad, will help complete
the troika of legends who have completely dominated the RFP event over the last
decade or so.
The Koreans
will also be there in full force with 19 shooters, among them two of their
three reigning women Olympic champions Yang Jiin (25m pistol) and Oh Yejin (10m
air pistol).
Reigning
mixed team air pistol Paris champions Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic will
headline a 15-member Serbian squad, while women’s 3P exponent Chiara Leone,
will complete the line-up of reigning Olympic champions in Munich. She will
accompany an equally high-quality 11-member Switzerland team.
Among
former Olympic champions who have entered to start for their respective nations
are Javad Faroughi (Iran-10m air pistol), Nina Christen (Switzerland-women’s
3P) and Greek women’s pistol legend Anna Korakaki.
Several
Paris Olympic medallists like the USA’s Sagen Maddalena, Italy’s Paolo Monna
and Danilo Sollazzo and Alexandra Le of Kazakhstan, are also set to start in
Munich. The USA’s former world champion Alison Weisz also shoots in Munich,
highlighting the strong US presence.
Other
legendary shooters in attendance will include the likes of Ukrainian rifle
specialist Serhii Kulish (two-time Olympic medalist), who is part of a
21-member squad, the Czech Republic’s Petar Gorsa, Hungary’s Istvan Peni and
Turkiye’s Yusuf Dikec. A group of 25 individual neutral athletes (AIN) are also
expected to pose a strong challenge in the 10 events on the schedule.
