Following a 76-medal haul at the Asian Championship, India's top rifle and pistol shooters are set for the National Selection Trials in Delhi to secure spots in the national squad for the upcoming international season and the new Olympic cycle.
Top Shooters Eye National Squad Berths in Selection Trials
Following a dominant performance at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026 on home soil, where India topped the medal tally with an impressive 76 medals including 39 gold, 18 silver and 19 bronze, top Indian rifle and pistol shooters, will now turn their attention to the National Selection Trials 3 (Group A), scheduled at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting range in Delhi between March 6-10, ahead of a packed international and domestic calendar beginning next month.
Almost all of India's top guns will be competing in 10 events, which include all eight Olympic events plus the rifle prone competitions for men and women, according to a release. Athletes will be aiming to secure scores to make their case for selection in the national squad for international competitions in the second half of the year. Rifle/Pistol Selection Trials 3 and 4 for Group B athletes will also commence tomorrow, which will be conducted at the M.P. State Shooting Academy in Bhopal from March 06-22, 2026.
National Coaching Camps Commence
After the completion of the selection trials, the national squad athletes will start their coaching camp in New Delhi from March 10 to 21. The National Squad camp for shotgun athletes also commenced today in New Delhi with the skeet shooters reporting first. The Trap shooters will report for the national camp on March 8.
Packed International Season Ahead
The national squad camp will be followed by the pre-event camp prior to the ISSF World Cup Shotgun, the first World Cup of the calendar year, which will be held in Tangier, Morocco, from March 21-April 3. Indian teams for the first two Rifle/Pistol (Granada and Munich) and Shotgun (Tangier and Almaty) ISSF World Cup stages of the year have already been announced earlier.
The new Olympic cycle leading up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics begins this year, with the first quota places set to be decided at the ISSF World Championship Doha 2026 in October-November. The season will also feature the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, where Indian shooters will aim to deliver another strong performance. With these marquee events on the horizon, both domestic and international competitions will play a crucial role in team selections across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.
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