New faces picked in Indian shooting World Cup squad

A host of fresh faces will take to the range alongside renowned Indian shooters such as Jitu Rai, Gagan Narang and Heena Sidhu when the year's first ISSF World Cup begins in the capital on February 24.

Though nine of the 12 shooters who competed in the Rio Olympics will be seen in action, quite a few newcomers have been added to the squad, which will not have in its rank Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra for the first time in nearly two decades.

Two big names -- also part of the Rio Games -- to have missed out are former world number one Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Ayonika Paul.

Kynan Chenai, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Narang, Jitu, Heena, Chain Singh and Gurpreet Singh have been able to retain their place in the national squad that was selected on the basis of the performance in the last National championship in Pune and two selection trials.

After the Olympic debacle, an overhaul was on the cards in Indian shooting. Narang has been able to book a berth only in the rifle prone event and not in air rifle or rifle 3-position events.

14-year-old Shapath Bharadwaj has made the men's double trap team along with Sangram Dahiya and Ankur Mittal.

Former world No.1 Heena Sidhu will compete only in 10m air pistol alongside newcomers Harveen Ahluwalia and Priyanka Susvikar, having opted out of sport pistol.

In men's 10m air rifle, India will be represented by the unheralded duo of Ravi Kumar and Deepak Kumar alongside the fairly experienced Satyendra Singh.

Sangram Dahiya, Ankur Mittal and Shapath Bharadwaj form the double trap men's team, while Zoravar Singh, Kynan Chenai and Birendeep Singh Sodhi, who is Ronjan Sodhi's younger brother and making a comeback after four years, will represent the host nation in double trap.

Provision has also been made in the schedule for mixed team competitions as per the new suggestions that are still being decided for the next Olympics in Tokyo.

Team (Men):
Air rifle: Ravi Kumar, Satyendra Singh.
Rifle 3P: Sanjeev Rajput, Chain Singh, Satyendra Singh.
Rifle prone: Sushil Ghalay, Gagan Narang, Chain Singh.
Air pistol: Jitu Rai, Amanpreet Singh, Omkar Singh.
Rapid fire pistol: Neeraj Kumar, Gurpreet Singh, Harpreet Singh.
Free pistol: Jitu Rai, Amanpreet Singh, Gurpal Singh.
Trap: Kynan Chenai, Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Birendeep Sodhi.
Double trap: Shapath Bharadwaj, Sangram Dahiya, Ankur Mittal.
Skeet: Angad Vir Sing Bajwa, Amrinder Cheema, Mairaj Ahmad Khan.

Women:
Air rifle: Vinita Bhardwaj, Pooja Ghatkar, Meghana Sajjanar.
Rifle 3P: Elizabeth Susan Koshy, Anjum Moudgil, Tejaswini Sawant.
Air pistol: Heena Sidhu, Harveen Srao, Priyanka Susvirkar.
Sports pistol: Shreya Gawande, Muskan, Surabhi Pathak.
Trap: Manisha Keer, Rajeshwari Kumari, Seema Tomar.
Skeet: Arti Singh, Rashmee Rathore, Saniya Sheikh.