Asian Games 2026: Manu Bhaker to spearhead India's shooting challenge

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday announced its 30-member Indian shooting contingent for the upcoming 20th Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026. Two-time Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker will lead the 30-member squad.

Shooting events will be contested from September 17 to October 3, 2026 at the General Shooting Range in Aichi Prefecture.

While all the selected athletes successfully met the strict qualification slots set by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the final list is 30 athletes (15 men and 15 women) due to the strict dynamic quota limits enforced by the Games Organizing Committee.

After extensive consideration and detailed evaluation of the event, the committee has identified a select group of athletes capable of competing in multiple disciplines. This strategic approach allows India to maximize participation in all available events while maintaining the strongest possible medal prospects in both individual and team events. The approved double starters are Vidarsa K. Vinod, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil and Manu Bhaker along with Esha Singh.

The final line-up reflects a careful balance of current form, international performance, team composition and medal potential. The selection committee, in consultation with the High Performance team, sought to optimize India’s competitiveness in all shooting disciplines and ensure the strongest possible challenge for a podium finish at the Games.

Speaking of the team selected for the Asian Games. NRAI President Kalikesh Singh Deo said, “Selecting this team was a challenging task given the exceptional depth and quality of talent in Indian shooting today.

With a maximum number of 30 athletes in the program, which includes participation at 36 venues, the selection committee conducted a detailed evaluation of the event to ensure that the final team gives India the strongest possible representation and the best opportunity for competitive success across disciplines.

The final line-up reflects the strength, depth and versatility of India’s batting line-up. We are confident that this team will represent India with distinction and make the nation proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”

The final contingent consists of 12 shotgun shooters and 18 rifle/pistol shooters. The complete team breakdown is as follows:

A unit of rifles and pistols

10M Air Rifle For Men

Parth Rakesh Mane
Himanshu Dhillon
Rudranksh Balasaheb Patil

10M air rifle for women

Elavenil Valarivan
Sonam Uttam Worms
Vidarsa K Vinod

50M rifle 3 positions men

Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar
Niraj Kumar
Rudranksh Balasaheb Patil

50M Rifle 3 Position Female

Ashi Chouksey
Vidarsa K Vinod
Tilottama Dream

10M air gun for men

Kedarling B. Uchaganve
Gaurav
Terrible things

Women’s Air Pistol 10M

Suruchi
Esha Singh
Manu Bhaker

25M rapid fire pistol for men

Women’s Sport Pistol 25M

Esha Singh
Manu Bhaker
Rahi Sarnobat

10M Mixed Air Rifle Team

Parth Rakesh Mane
Elavenil Valarivan

Mixed Air Pistol Team 10M

Kedarling B. Uchaganve
Suruchi
Shotgun Squad

Trap Men

Kynan Chennai
Ahwar Rizvi
Whisper Bharadwaj

Trapped women

kidneys
Manisha Keer
Aashima Ahlawat

Skeet men

Anantjeet Singh Naruka
Bhavtegh Singh Gill
Mairaj Ahmed Khan

Skeet women

Parinaaz Dhaliwal
Raiza Dhillon
Maheshwari Chauhan

Indian shooters have continued to perform strongly on the international circuit in recent months, underscoring the country’s growing strength in the rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines. Recently, Indian shooters secured several podium finishes in the recently concluded ISSF World Cup circuit.

This was highlighted by Esha Singh’s gold medal and world record in the women’s 25m pistol at the World Cup in Munich. Suruchi Singh and Esha also combined for a memorable gold-silver finish in the women’s 10m air pistol event, bolstering the depth and consistency of India’s shooting program ahead of the Asian Games.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

11 Jun 2026 19:47 IST