New Delhi: Elavenil Valarivan and Manu Bhaker will lead India’s charge in shooting at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced the team on Sunday.
The highly accomplished Manu Bhaker will be fielded in both the women’s 25m pistol alongside the experienced Rahi Sarnobat and in her pet 10m air pistol event with Yashaswini Singh Deswal.
The NRAI selection committee announced the names of 15 shooters who will represent the country at the Games, scheduled to be held in the Japanese capital from July 23 to August 8.
The shooters were selected based on their performance in the NRAI’s four-year Olympic qualifying cycle, starting with the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games which was followed by World Championship (both in 2018), all four World Cups and Asian Championships in 2019 and selection trials stage 1 and 2 earlier this year.
As per the NRAI’s stated policy, an average of five best scores in an international competition, starting with the Jakarta Asiad, was taken into account while picking the final team.
It also means that Anjum Moudgil, who was the first Indian shooter along with Apurvi Chandela to earn quota for the Tokyo Games at the 2018 World Championships, will be fielded in women’s rifle 3 positions event along with the seasoned Tejaswini Sawant.
Chandela and Elavenil will participate in the women’s 10m air rifle event.
