Indian Shooters Eye Strong Start to LA28 Olympic Qualification at Doha World Championships

India's leading shooters will be looking to put their disappointing Asian Games campaign behind them as they begin their challenge at the ISSF World Championship (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in Doha on Sunday. With the qualification race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics also getting underway, the prestigious competition presents India with an important opportunity to secure early Olympic quota places and regain its confidence.

The Indian shooting contingent heads into the championships following a below-par performance at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where the country won 15 medals, comprising three gold, eight silver and four bronze. This marked a significant decline from its impressive haul of 22 medals at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, including seven gold, nine silver and six bronze.

Several established shooters, including double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Elavenil Valarivan, fell short of winning gold in Japan. Their performances have raised questions about India's high-performance coaching programme, led by Pierre Beauchamp, and whether the considerable financial and human resources invested in the system are translating into results.

The Doha championships will offer 36 Olympic quota places across 12 individual events, with three berths available in each event. It represents the biggest single opportunity to secure Olympic quotas during the entire qualification cycle. Early qualification would provide Indian shooters with greater flexibility to concentrate on preparations, domestic selection trials and the long journey towards Los Angeles.

Neeru Dhanda will be among India's biggest medal prospects after an outstanding Asian Games campaign. The trap shooter won two gold medals in the individual and mixed team events and added a silver in the women's team competition. Suruchi Inder Singh, who has enjoyed an impressive run on the World Cup circuit and won the 10m air pistol mixed team gold in Japan, will also be one to watch.

Despite the overall medal decline, shooters such as Elavenil and Esha showed promise by reaching medal-winning positions. However, their inability to convert strong performances into gold has intensified scrutiny of coaching methods, pressure management and selection policies.

The absence of reigning world champion Samrat Rana, a 10m air pistol specialist, and World Championships bronze medallist Varun Tomar from recent major competitions has also raised questions about the selection process.

India's performance at the championships will be particularly significant as the country aspires to host the 2036 Olympic Games and strengthen its position in international sports.

Meanwhile, the ISSF said it was closely monitoring the security situation in the Gulf region in coordination with the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association and relevant authorities.

India will begin its campaign in the men's and women's 10m air rifle events on November 3. Parth Mane, Himanshu Dhillon and Paarth Makhija will compete in the men's section, while Shambhavi Kshirsagar, Sonam Maskar and Elavenil Valarivan will represent India in the women's event.