Rio Olympians Manavjit Sandhu and Ayonika Paul could not make the cut for the year first ISSF World Cup to be held in New Delhi from February 22.
Apurvi Chandela and Prakash Nanjappa could also not find a spot in the main team but will still shoot in the MQS (Minimum Qualification Score) section.
Though nine of the 12 shooters who competed in the Rio Olympics will be seen in action, quite a few newcomers have been added to the squad, which will not have in its rank Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra for the first time in nearly two decades.
Gagan Narang, Jitu Rai, Heena Sidhu, Chain Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Kynan Chenai have been able to retain their place in the squad that was selected on the basis of the performance of the shooters in the last National Championship in Pune and two selection trials.
Narang, who participated in three events at Rio Olympics, will take part in only one event, while former World No. 1 Heena Sidhu will compete only in Women’s 10m Air Pistol alongside Harveen Sarao and Priyanka Susvikar, having opted out of 25m Pistol.
In Men 10m Air Rifle, India will be represented by the unheralded duo of Ravi Kumar and Deepak Kumar alongside the fairly experienced Satyendra Singh.
Narang, who had won innumerable medals in the event in the past, could not find a place in the team as he finished fourth in the selection trials.
Narang is, though, part of the 50m Rifle Prone team alongside Chain Singh and Sushil Ghaley, coming into the event after a good performance at the Nationals.
Sanjeev Rajput was picked for Men 50m Rifle Three Position alongside Chain Singh and Satyendra Singh.
In Women Air Rifle, Pooja Ghatkar, Meghna Sajjanar and Vinita Bhardwaj will form the team while in Men’s 10m Air Pistol, Jitu Rai will lead the challenge in the company of Amanpreet Singh and Omkar Singh.
14-year-old Shapath Bharadwaj has made the Men’s Double trap team along with Sangram Dahiya and Ankur Mittal, while Zoravar Singh, Kynan Chenai and Birendeep Sodhi, who is Ronjan Sodhi’s younger brother, will represent the host nation in Men’s Double Trap.
Experienced Seema Tomar along with promising youngster Manisha Kheer and Rajeshwari Kumari will participate in the Women Trap.
The Squad:
Men’s 10m Air Rifle: Ravi Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Satyendra Singh.
Men’s 50m Rifle Prone: Gagan Narang, Chain Singh, Sushil Ghaley.
Men’s 50m Rifle Three Position: Sanjeev Rajput, Chain Singh, Satyendra Singh.
Men’s 10m Air Pistol: Jitu Rai, Amanpreet Singh, Omkar Singh. MQS: Prakash Nanjappa
Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol: Gurpreet Singh, Harpreet Singh, Neeraj Kumar.
Men’s 50m Pistol: Jitu Rai, Amanpreet Singh, Gurpal Singh. MQS: Prakash Nanjappa
Women’s 10m Air Rifle: Pooja Ghatkar, Meghana Sajjanar, Vineeta Bharadwaj. MQS: Apurvi Chandela
Women’s 50m Three Position: Tejaswini Sawant, Elizabeth Susan Koshy, Anjum Moudgil.
Women’s 10m Air Pistol: Heena Sidhu, Harveen Sarao, Priyanka Susvikar.
Women’s 25m Pistol: Heena Sidhu, Surabhi Pathak, Muskan.
Men’s Trap: Zoravar Singh, Kynan Chenai, Birendeep Sodhi.
Men’s Double Trap: Sangram Dahiya, Ankur Mittal, Shapath Bharadwaj.
Men’s Skeet: Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Sheeraz Sheikh, Angadvir Singh Bajwa.
Women’s Skeet: Saniya Shaikh, Rashmee Rajput, Aarti Singh Rao.
Women’s Trap: Seema Tomar, Manisha Kheer, Rajeshwari Kumari. MQS: Shreyasi Singh, Shagun Chowdhary