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Olympians Anantjeet, Raiza, Mairaj Lead India at ISSF World Cup in Kazakhstan

India is sending a 20-member squad to the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan, led by Olympians Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Raiza Dhillon, and Mairaj Ahmad Khan. The team aims to rebound after a medal-less performance in the opening leg in Morocco. The competition features 284 shooters from 42 nations, with gold medalists earning a spot in the World Cup Final in Rome. Key events include men's and women's skeet and trap, with live streaming available on Olympics.com.

Key Points: India's Olympians Headline ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Almaty

  • Olympians Anantjeet, Raiza, Mairaj lead Indian squad
  • Squad features 20 members from 42 nations
  • Anantjeet returns after skipping Morocco leg
  • Gold medalists qualify for World Cup Final in Rome
  • No TV telecast in India; live stream on Olympics.com
2 min read

ISSF Shotgun World Cup: Olympians Anantjeet, Raiza, Mairaj headline Indian squad in Kazakhstan

Olympians Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Raiza Dhillon, and Mairaj Ahmad Khan lead a 20-member Indian squad at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

"The stakes remain high, as gold medallists in each event will secure qualification for the ISSF World Cup Final - Report"

Almaty, May 2

India will be represented by Olympians Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Raiza Dhillon, and Mairaj Ahmad Khan at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2026 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, which gets underway on Sunday. The Indian contingent heads into the competition looking to bounce back after a medal-less outing in the opening leg held in Tangier, Morocco.

The Almaty leg marks the second of four Shotgun World Cups scheduled this year and features 284 shooters from 42 National Olympic Committees.

A 20-member squad has been named for Almaty, including eight shooters who will compete for Ranking Points Only (RPO). The lineup sees a few changes from the team that travelled to Morocco.

Asian champion Naruka returns to action after skipping the previous leg and will lead India's challenge in men's skeet alongside seasoned Olympian Mairaj. In the women's skeet event, Raiza will spearhead the campaign.

In the men's trap, the team has changed, with Bhowneesh Mendiratta, Prithviraj Tondaiman, and Kynan Chenai not part of the squad this time. Vivaan Kapoor will take charge of India's hopes in the discipline.

The stakes remain high, as gold medallists in each event will secure qualification for the ISSF World Cup Final, set to be held in Rome, Italy, in December.

When and Where to watch ISSF Shotgun World Cup: While the live stream of the finals will be available on Olympics.com, the event will not be telecast on any TV channel in India.

India squad for ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2026:

Men's skeet- Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Gurjoat Singh, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Bhavtegh Singh Gill (RPO), Abhay Singh Sekhon (RPO)

Men's trap- Ahvar Rizvi, Vivaan Kapoor, Shapath Bharadwaj, Ali Aman Elahi (RPO), Udaivir Singh Jaijee (RPO)

Women's trap- Pragati Dubey, Neeru, Manisha Keer, Vidhi Singh (RPO), Varsha Varman (RPO)

Women's skeet- Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon, Raiza Dhillon, Rashmmi Rathore (RPO), Vanshika Tiwari (RPO)

Mixed team trap- Ahvar Rizvi, Pragati Dubey, Vivaan Kapoor, Neeru

ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2026 schedule (Finals only; All times in IST):

May 5, Tuesday:

Women's skeet - 4:00 PM

Men's skeet - 7:30 PM

May 9, Saturday:

Women's trap - 4:00 PM

Men's trap - 5:30 PM

May 10, Sunday:

Trap mixed team - 4:30 PM

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Priya S
I wish the women's trap team had more senior shooters. Pragati Dubey and Neeru are talented but they need more international exposure. Also, no TV coverage in India? That's a shame for a sport gaining traction. 😔
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Vikram M
Interesting to see Vivaan Kapoor leading the men's trap after skipping the usual names. We need fresh blood in the squad and he's been consistent in nationals. Let's see how he handles the pressure. 🇮🇳
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Rohit P
Disappointed that Bhowneesh, Prithviraj, and Kynan are not there. They've been our stalwarts in trap events. The selection committee should be more transparent about such changes. Anyway, all the best to the new squad.
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Kavya N
Raiza Dhillon in women's skeet is a huge hope! She's been training hard in Italy and her technique has improved massively. With Parinaaz and Ganemat also in the squad, our women's skeet team looks solid. ✨
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Gaurav U
The fact that we have 8 RPO shooters shows the depth in Indian shooting. Gold in any event gets a World Cup Final berth – that's serious motivation. Hope the Ministry of Sports provides better telecast support for such events. 🙏
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