India Gears Up for 16th Asian Shooting Championships With Record-Breaking Squad

India assembles a massive 182-member team at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range for the 16th Asian Shooting Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. The event, occurring from August 16-30, sees intense competition as top Asian nations vie for supremacy ahead of the next Asian Games.

India's elite marksmen and women have convened at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range as preparations commence for the 16th Asian Shooting Championships (ASC). Set to take place from August 16 to 30 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, the championships promise to be fiercely competitive, with India deploying its largest-ever contingent of 182 shooters for both Olympic and non-Olympic events.

The event comes at a crucial time as it serves as a precursor to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games slated for next year. Following a national camp held last month in Dehradun and Bhopal, the preparatory camp aims to hone the skills of the athletes. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced that 35 seniors and 36 juniors will be funded by the government, while the remaining participants will pay their expenses as per tournament regulations. This year, 734 athletes from 28 countries are expected to compete.

Hosts Kazakhstan will feature the event's second-largest contingent, trailing India, with over 100 athletes. South Korea and China will be represented by 70 and 47 athletes respectively. The Indian squad's first group, comprising pistol and skeet shooters, is scheduled to depart for Kazakhstan on August 14, followed by the rifle shooters on August 17. The remaining shooters are set to leave on August 20, with non-Olympic participants departing on August 24. In the previous edition in 2023, India secured a commendable third place in the medal tally, behind China and South Korea, with a total of 19 medals.

(With inputs from agencies.)