The shooting world turns its gaze to Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2026’s second stage ignites on Sunday. India’s 20-strong squad, captained by Olympic medalists Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, Raiza Dhillon, and Miraj Ahmad Khan, enters with renewed vigor following a trophyless debut in Tangier, Morocco.
Amid 284 elite competitors from 42 nations, this event serves as a critical juncture in the Olympic cycle. Direct qualification to December’s ISSF Final in Rome awaits each category’s gold winner, amplifying the stakes for every trigger pull.
Strategic tweaks define the Indian lineup. Asian champ Naruka rejoins forces with seasoned Miraj in men’s skeet, while Raiza helms women’s skeet. Men’s trap sees a revamp without Bhavneesh Mendiratta, Prithviraj Tondaiman, and Kynan Chenai—Vivan Kapoor steps up as the frontrunner.
Eight athletes join for RPO pursuits only. Men’s skeet brigade: Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, Gurjot Singh, Miraj Ahmad Khan, plus RPO contenders Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Abhay Singh Sekhon. Trap men: Ahvar Rizvi, Vivan Kapoor, Shapat Bhardwaj, with Ali Aman Ilahi, Udayveer Singh Jajzi (RPO).
Women trap: Prachi Dubey, Neeru, Manisha Keer, Vidhi Singh (RPO), Varsha Varman (RPO). Skeet women: Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon, Raiza Dhillon, Rashmi Rathore (RPO), Vanshika Tiwari (RPO). Mixed trap duos: Ahvar-Prachi and Vivan-Neeru.
Action peaks in finals: May 5 (women’s skeet 4 PM, men’s 7:30 PM); May 9 (women’s trap 4 PM, men’s 5:30 PM); May 10 mixed team trap 4:30 PM. With Paris Olympics on the horizon, India’s sharpshooters are primed for a podium resurgence.
