Shotgun’s alarming slump continues as India seek answers at Lonato WC ahead of Asiad

New Delhi, July 3: India head into the third ISSF Shotgun World Cup of the season in Lonato, Italy from Saturday, with little to show from the first two stops, as the country’s alarming slump in shotgun events continue to defy expectations. With the Asian Games fast approaching, the lack of form is a worrying trend, especially in stark contrast to the consistent success enjoyed by India’s rifle and pistol shooters.
The Lonato meet, followed by the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou later this month, offers India’s shotgun shooters their final two major international opportunities to fine-tune their preparations before the Asian Games.
Yet, the National Rifle Association of India will be searching for answers as the discipline that once spearheaded the country’s shooting success has slipped into an unexpected decline.
From trailblazers like Karni Singh and shooter-turned-administrator Randhir Singh to Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, world champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu, and multiple World Cup and World Cup Final gold medallist Ronjan Sodhi, shotgun shooting has long been India’s flag-bearer on the global stage.
Against this backdrop, the World Cup in Lonato gets underway at the sport’s virtual fortress, where the field is invariably among the strongest in the world. (PTI)