The international shooting season gets underway with the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol leg in Granada, Spain, as a deep and competitive global field assembles at the Las Gabias Shooting Range.
With 434 athletes from 51 National Olympic Committees set to compete across 10 Olympic events, the opening leg promises both quality and context, particularly in a year that will gradually build toward World Championship qualification and the long road to Los Angeles 2028.
India arrive with a 24-member contingent, blending experience with emerging depth, as the national federation continues to test its broader talent pool under its current selection policy. Notably, the squad has been picked from athletes ranked between fourth and sixth in domestic standings, a move that underlines a clear emphasis on bench strength rather than relying solely on established names.
The Indian shooters have already reached Granada and familiarised themselves with the conditions, with official pre-event training scheduled ahead of competition beginning on April 7. The finals will run through the week, culminating on April 12 with the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions and women’s 10m air rifle title rounds. All finals will be streamed live, providing global visibility for what is expected to be a high-intensity start to the season.
India will field three shooters in each individual event, alongside 14 additional participants competing for ranking points only (RPO), ensuring maximum exposure at the elite level. The approach reflects a broader strategy—creating competitive opportunities for a larger group of shooters while maintaining medal ambitions.
The campaign begins with the mixed team events, where India will look to set an early tone. Asian Games champion Palak teams up with Mukesh Nelavalli in the 10m air pistol mixed event, while Sainyam and Ujjwal Malik form the second pairing. In the air rifle mixed team competition, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Gajanan Shahdev Khandagale will lead one combination, with Shruti and Arshdeep Singh forming the other.
While the squad leans on developing shooters, the presence of proven performers adds balance. World championship medallists Akhil Sheoran, Anjum Moudgil and Mehuli Ghosh headline the rifle unit, bringing both experience and technical consistency. They are supported by a strong pistol contingent, including world record holder Rhythm Sangwan, World Cup Final winner Simranpreet Kaur Brar, and Vijayveer Sidhu, who claimed gold at the Buenos Aires World Cup last year.
For many of these athletes, Granada represents the first major international test of the year. While some shooters have already participated in continental competitions, this event marks the true season opener for several leading nations, including China. The Asian powerhouse arrives with a formidable 22-member squad, featuring three reigning Olympic champions Sheng Lihao (10m air rifle), Xie Yu (10m air pistol), and Liu Yukun (50m rifle 3 positions).
The depth of competition extends well beyond China. Germany (20 athletes), Italy (16), France (14), USA (13), and Chinese Taipei (13) have all sent sizeable teams, while hosts Spain will look to leverage home conditions with an 18-member lineup. Kazakhstan, an emerging force in shooting, also fields a strong 15-member squad.
The individual star power on display further elevates the competition. Among those expected to contend are Sweden’s Victor Lindgren, a Paris Olympic silver medallist and former world champion, and Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad, the reigning world champion in rifle events. France’s pistol trio Jean Quiquampoix, Clement Bessaguet, and Camille Jedrzejewski bring a combination of Olympic pedigree and recent world-level success.
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The presence of Turkey’s Olympic silver-winning pair Yusuf Dikec and Sevval Tarhan, alongside American medallists Sagen Maddalena and Carolyn Tucker, ensures that nearly every final will feature athletes with proven ability to deliver under pressure.
For India, however, the narrative extends beyond podium finishes. With the World Championships in Doha later this year set to offer the first quota places for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, early-season competitions like Granada serve as critical benchmarking opportunities. They allow coaches and selectors to assess form, adaptability, and mental resilience against top-tier opposition.
Equally important is the timing of the event in relation to India’s broader sporting calendar. With the Asian Games on the horizon, building a larger pool of competition-ready shooters becomes essential. Events like the Granada World Cup provide the platform to evaluate combinations, test new entrants, and refine strategies across disciplines.
The emphasis on depth is particularly relevant in a sport like shooting, where marginal differences often separate finalists from the rest of the field. By exposing more athletes to high-pressure environments, India aims to create a sustainable pipeline capable of delivering results consistently across cycles.
As competition begins on April 7, the focus will initially be on early momentum in the mixed team events. However, the true measure of India’s campaign will lie in how its emerging shooters handle the progression from qualification to finals against a field packed with Olympic and world champions.
Granada may be the first stop of the season, but its significance goes beyond immediate results. For India, it is an opportunity to validate its depth, test its next line of contenders, and begin a long competitive year with clarity and intent.
