Indian shooters are busy building on the success of the Paris Olympics by placing among the top three in three events of the ISSF World Cups this year. Later this year, the World Championships will serve as another opportunity for them to demonstrate their prowess on the world arena.

India's shooting industry continues to generate extraordinary talent due to the intense rivalry at home and a strong domestic structure. The most recent is pistol shooter Suruchi Phogat, who has won individual gold medals in each of the three World Cup legs.

The established figures are being challenged by up-and-coming talent, but the top shooters who have the experience and the ability to perform in big events need to be handled carefully.

According to Kalikesh Singh Deo, president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the federation is developing a system to create two senior teams in addition to a junior squad in order to adopt a more focused, outcome-oriented strategy. The best of the group will have plenty of time to plan their preparations.

"We have a strong bench and the top shooters are competing for India right now." We are attempting to modify the calendar and schedule so that our top shooters have plenty of opportunity to train and get ready for big events," Deo informed HT.

"To that end, we want to find two teams (A, B) and a junior team. Based on an open selection procedure, we will determine various international competitions for them. It will guarantee that a sizable number of athletes are exposed to the international stage. Simultaneously, our top athletes won't experience burnout and will continue to be at their best.

This will be a huge relief for shooters who participate in 12–13 competitions each year, including a number of local trials to maintain their position in the national squad. They are now forced to compete because many people who are dislodged find it difficult to return.

Deo claims that, in order for national coaches to assist these shooters through the difficult period, NRAI intends to invite them to the national camp even if they aren't on a team. He has invited Tilottama Sen, a rifle shooter who won a Paris Olympics quota for the nation but is now out of the team, to participate in national camps.

"We executed our strategy effectively and performed well at the Paris Olympics. We are aware that there are some gaps that must be filled for this Olympic cycle moving forward. Although the caliber of talent we possess is a significant advantage, we are also noticing a high rate of turnover among our national team athletes.

"In addition to continuing to focus on building a strong bench strength, we must also care for talent who miss out on national spots and incorporate them into the national training program."

India came in second place in the inaugural World Cup, which took place in Buenos Aires, with eight medals, four of them gold. With eleven medals, China came first. With seven and four medals in Peru and Munich, respectively, India came in third place.

"This season has been exceptional for our shooters. Munich, the most challenging of the World Cups, was where we excelled. We have become a major force in global shooting. Our shooters have mental fortitude and can adjust to various circumstances. We are now concentrating on getting them ready for the Asian Games and World Championships next year.

In order to foster trust between the coaches and shooters, the NRAI has increased the coaching and support personnel and is seeking to preserve continuity. The strategy involves reviving the well-liked junior development curriculum. "The concept is to catch athletes young, at 13, 14 years and to put them through a training programme so that there is seamless transition from junior to senior at international level," it says.

victories by sifting

In the Dehradun shooting selection trials on Wednesday, Sift Kaur Samra scored 467.3 to win the 50m rifle 3 Positions final. Umamahesh Maddineni, a junior world championships medalist, defeated Rudrankksh Patil in the 10m air rifle men's final to take first place with 252.2 points.

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