India Begin LA 2028 Olympic Quota Hunt at Doha World Championships with 35-Member Shooting Squad

India's campaign for Olympic quota places for Los Angeles 2028 begins at the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Doha, Qatar, with a 35-member contingent targeting an early advantage in the qualification cycle. 

The championship, which began on November 1 at the Lusail Shooting Complex, will feature medal events from November 3 to 13.

The tournament represents India's first opportunity to secure shooting quota places for the Los Angeles Olympics. With 36 Olympic quota places available across the 12 individual Olympic events, the stakes are particularly high for a country that has emerged as one of the leading forces in international shooting.

Three quota places are available in each individual Olympic event, with each nation eligible to secure a maximum of one quota per event at this championship. India therefore has the opportunity to secure as many as 12 quota places in Doha, potentially giving its Olympic preparations a significant early boost.

India arrive in Doha after an impressive campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where the shooting contingent collected 15 medals, including six in shotgun events. Neeru Dhanda was among the standout performers, winning India's first women's trap individual gold medal at the Asian Games. She also secured mixed team gold and a team silver, establishing herself as one of the leading names in India's shotgun contingent.

Neeru will headline the shotgun squad alongside 2025 World Championship bronze medallist Zoravar Singh Sandhu in trap. The skeet contingent features several Asian Games medallists, including Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal.

The presence of multiple Asian Games podium finishers gives India considerable experience across the shotgun disciplines. Their performances in Doha will be particularly important as the team looks to translate its continental success into results at the global level.

Manu Bhaker leads the pistol squad

Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker will spearhead India's pistol challenge at the championship. The pistol squad also includes Asian Games air pistol mixed team champions Suruchi and Kamaljeet. Their inclusion adds further strength to a contingent that will be looking to convert its recent international experience into Olympic quota success.

Bhaker's experience at the Olympic Games and major international championships makes her one of the most prominent members of the Indian squad. However, the qualification event will demand strong performances across the entire team, with India having entered three shooters in every individual Olympic event.

In rifle, Elavenil Valarivan and Himanshu Dhillon will lead the challenge. Both were individual silver medallists at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and will be aiming to carry that form into the World Championships. India have also entered two pairs in each of the four mixed team events, reflecting the country's depth across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.

The Doha World Championships carry additional importance because shooting did not offer Olympic quota places at the recently concluded Asian Games. This makes the competition India's first opportunity to secure places for Los Angeles 2028.

The availability of 36 quota places makes Doha the biggest qualification event of the cycle, providing nations with an opportunity to establish an early presence in the Olympic field. Securing quotas at this stage would also give India more time to plan its preparations for Los Angeles. Early qualification can provide athletes and the federation with a longer runway to structure training, competition schedules and selection planning ahead of the Games.

India's strategy has been to field three shooters in every individual Olympic event, ensuring representation across all 12 disciplines. The two pairs entered in each mixed team event further underline the scale of the country's participation.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has highlighted the importance of the preparation programme leading into the championship. NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo said the team had carried its Asian Games momentum into a focused national training camp.

“Our preparation this season has been built around this moment. The team carried its Asian Games momentum straight into a focused national camp, and our shooters arrive in Doha sharp and ready. Quota places won here give India the longest possible runway to plan for Los Angeles, and I am confident this team will make the most of that opportunity,” he said.

NRAI Secretary General Pawankumar Singh also emphasised the performance-focused approach adopted during the preparations.

“Every athlete in this squad has trained to a clear performance benchmark. Our camp at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range was run in phases by discipline, so rifle, pistol and shotgun shooters each had dedicated time with their coaches, with performance data guiding the work. We have prepared to be in contention in all 16 of our events and to start the LA 2028 campaign on the front foot,” he said.

The phased training programme was designed to provide discipline-specific preparation, with dedicated coaching time and performance data guiding the work across rifle, pistol and shotgun.

India's recent international performances have established strong expectations for its shooting contingent. The 15-medal Asian Games campaign demonstrated the country's depth, particularly in shotgun, while established names in rifle and pistol provide further experience.

The challenge in Doha will be to deliver under the pressure of a World Championship that also serves as the first major Olympic qualification opportunity of the cycle.

With 12 potential quota places within reach, India's shooters have a significant opportunity to begin the Los Angeles 2028 campaign strongly. The performances at Lusail will not only determine the immediate medal outcomes but could also shape the country's Olympic planning over the coming years.

For India, the mission in Doha is clear: convert recent momentum into Olympic qualification and establish an early foundation for another competitive shooting campaign at the Games.