New Delhi, April 4: Elavenil Valarivan, the world No 1 in women’s 10m air rifle who didn’t win an Olympic quota, has been included in the national shooting team for Tokyo Olympics while Chinki Yadav, the winner of a quota place in women’s 25 metres pistol, has been dropped.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body of the sport in the country, announced the squad on Sunday.
Since a quota place goes to the country and not to the individual shooter winning it, it can be swapped by the NRAI between shooters.
In the 2019 qualification cycle, India had won 15 quota places. The NRAI has also selected 14 reserves.
After a marathon meeting of the selection panel held in the Capital on Sunday, NRAI decided to field Haryana’s teenage shooter Manu Bhaker and Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat in the women’s 25 metres sports pistol for the Olympics leaving out Chinki.
The panel decided that the quota won by Chinki will be given to Anjum Moudgil to enable her to compete in the women’s 50 metres 3 position along with Tejaswini Sawant. Anjum will also compete in the women’s 10m air rifle mixed team event.
Manu will also compete in the 10m air pistol event along with Yashaswini Deswal.Elavenil and Apurvi Chandela will represent India in the women’s 10 metres air rifle event.
Anjum will pair with Deepak Kumar in the 10m air rifle mixed team competition while Elavenil will team up with Divyansh Singh Panwar as the other pair for the 10m air rifle mixed team event.
Team
Saurabh Choudhary, Abhishek Verma (men’s 10m air pistol), Manu Bhaker, Yashaswini Deswal (women’s 10m air pistol), Rahi Sarnobat and Manu Bhaker (women’s 25m pistol), Deepak Kumar and Divyansh Singh Panwar (men’s 10m air rifle), Elavenil Valarivan and Apurvi Chandela (women’s 10m air rifle), Sanjeev Rajput and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Tejaswini Sawant (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Angadvir Singh Bajwa (men’s skeet).
For mixed team events
Divyansh Singh Panwar and Elavenil Valarivan, Deepak Kumar and Anjum Moudgil (10m air rifle);
Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker, Abhishek Verma and Yashaswini Deswal (10m air pistol mixed team). (IANS)
