Asian Olympic Qualification Rifle: As Indian shooters commence the new season in 2024, with the Paris Olympics on the horizon, their primary objective will be to qualify for the quadrennial event and bring an end to the 12-year wait for a coveted medal.
After the Indian shooters drew a blank in the last two Olympics in Rio and Tokyo, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) amended its selection criteria for the 2024 Paris Olympics to ensure that it picks the best shooters for the Summer Games next year.
As per the new selection criteria, bonus points for Olympic quota holders who will compete in national Olympic selection trials have been reduced to two from five in the pistol category and one in the rifle category.
Since the beginning of the qualification period on August 14, the Indian shooting squad has earned 13 quota spots for Paris 2024 and will be looking to add to that tally before the qualification period ends on June 9, 2024.
In the upcoming Asian Olympic qualifiers, scheduled next month in Indonesia and Kuwait, 16 Paris Olympic quotas will be available in Jakarta, where the Asian Olympic Qualification Rifle and Pistol events are scheduled between January 5-18.
As many as eight Paris spots will be up for grabs in the Asia Olympic Qualification Shotgun, scheduled in Kuwait City between January 12-22.
In the upcoming Jakarta event, India will specifically target the acquisition of additional pistol quotas, as there are still five quotas to be earned.
Notably, all eight quota places in rifle events have already been secured.
Meanwhile, in Kuwait, India have the opportunity to compete for six quota places, with four in skeet and two in trap shooting.
Besides the qualification events in Jakarta and Kuwait, Indian shooters will have a few more events in 2024 to secure Paris quota.
The NRAI will hold four selection trials in May to select the Indian team for the Paris Olympics.
Shooters will earn points from the selection trials and the best three scores among the four will be considered. Additionally, shooters who have secured an Olympics quota will have one quota bonus point added to the combined scores of their trials.
Meanwhile, the NRAI has officially roped in India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, as a mentor to prepare the air pistol and rifle teams for the Paris Games.
In essence, the initial half of 2024 will be entirely dedicated to securing qualification for the Paris Olympics and surpassing the number of Olympic quotas (15) achieved during the Tokyo Olympics.
With 13 quotas already secured and upcoming events in Jakarta and Kuwait offering further opportunities, the shooters are determined to not only qualify, but also surpass the quota tally of Tokyo 2020.
As the journey unfolds, the focus remains sharp on clinching coveted spots and ending the quest for Olympic glory that has extended over a decade.