Indian Shooters Miss Olympic Quota Opportunity at ISSF World Championships

India's hopes of securing Olympic quota places at the ISSF World Championships suffered a setback as its shooters failed to reach the finals in the 10m air rifle mixed team and 25m rapid fire pistol events on Wednesday. In the 10m air rifle mixed team qualification, the pair of Sonam Uttam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon finished seventh with a score of 632.4 points, missing out on a place in the four-team final. India's campaign in the 25m rapid fire pistol event also ended without a finalist, with Bhavesh Shekhawat finishing 12th with 582 points, Gurpreet placing 18th with 579 and Suraj Sharma ending 35th with 571.

The tournament marks the beginning of the qualification process for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. However, India is yet to win a medal in an individual Olympic event or secure an Olympic quota place at the championships. India did claim a silver medal in the men's 50m pistol event, but the discipline is not part of the Olympic programme. The country also won silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event. However, Olympic quota places at this championship are awarded only through individual Olympic events.

Shambhavi Kshirsagar Disqualified

Indian shooter Shambhavi Kshirsagar was disqualified for violating the International Shooting Sport Federation's (ISSF) regulations concerning clothing and equipment. Officials reportedly found that the material of her shooting outfit exceeded the permitted thickness, making her ineligible to compete. As a result, the mixed team pair of Shambhavi and Parth Mane exited the 10m air rifle event. This was not the first such setback for the shooter, as she had also been disqualified for the same reason during the Junior World Championships in June.