The absence of the Paris Olympic medallists notwithstanding, hosts India will not be short on firepower when they compete in the season-ending World Cup Final, starting from Tuesday, with Rhythm Sangwan headlining a 23-member squad. The Paris Olympics medallists automatically qualify for the tournament, but Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale, who won the bronze, have opted to skip the event to be staged at the Dr. Karni Singh Range.

Besides Rhythm, rising stars such as Ganemat Sekhon (women’s skeet) and Sonam Maskar (women’s 10m air rifle) will look to excel in the tournament, having earned their spots based on world rankings.

The Indian squad features nine athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics, including Arjun Babuta (men’s 10m air rifle), Anish Bhanwala (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol.

Rhythm will compete in both the women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events.

The other Olympians in the squad include Mairaj Ahmad Khan (men’s skeet), Divyansh Singh Panwar (men’s 10m air rifle), and Chain Singh (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions).

Also ready to shoot in the World Cup Final are Arjun Singh Cheema (men’s 10m air pistol), Vijayveer Sidhu (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol), Anantjeet Singh Narukha (men’s skeet), Maheshwari Chauhan (women’s skeet), Rajeshwari Kumari (women’s trap) and Shreyasi Singh (women’s trap). All these shooters competed in the Paris Games.

There are four finals lined up on each of the three competition days in this traditional ISSF season-ending showdown between the best in the world. Due to host country norms, a minimum of two Indian shooters will be in action in each of the 12 individual Olympic events on the roster.

Action begins on Tuesday with the 10m air rifle women being the first final on the schedule, followed by the men’s final. The 10m air pistol men and women’s finals are also lined up on day one. All the finals will be preceded by qualification rounds.

131 of the world’s top shooters from 37 countries including multiple reigning Olympic champions participate in the competition which will determine the year’s best performers in each of the 12 individual Olympic events.

The world’s top six athletes of the combined six ISSF World Cup stages held throughout year, along with Paris Olympic medallists, defending ISSF World Cup Final champions and reigning world champions have achieved direct qualification in each of the 12 events.

Three events — men’s 10m air pistol, men’s trap and women’s 25m pistol — will see all three Paris Olympic medallists compete for the top prize of 5000 euros.

All reigning champions from the previous year in Doha will also be there to defend their titles.

President of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), Luciano Rossi, who is in the capital to attend the tournament, hailed India’s role in the growth of the sport.

“We’re excited to be in India for the ISSF World Cup Final, one of the most dedicated shooting sport nations in the world,” said Rossi.

“After a successful season for our athletes and a wonderful Olympic Games in Paris, this is the perfect opportunity for all to finish the season on a high,” he added.

National Rifle Association of India’s (NRAI) secretary general K Sultan Singh said, “Shooting sport has been witnessing huge rise in popularity and passion amongst the youth, women and specially abled athletes in the country which can be gauged by the laurels which has been achieved at the Olympics, Paralympics and continental championships. ” “We wish all the participants the very best and immensely thank the ISSF and the government of India for all their support in hosting and organising the ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi.”

Indian Olympic Association Treasurer Sahdev Yadav on Tuesday hit back at president PT Usha for claiming that IOA Executive Committee members were not agreeing on a proposal to felicitate Paris Olympics medal-winners, saying her assertion is a “blatant lie”. Usha on Monday said that it was “deeply concerning” that the EC members failed to honour Olympic medallists and accused the Finance Committee of blocking funds intended to support Indian athletes’ preparation for the Paris Games.

In a rebuttal to Usha’s claims, Sahdev said, “… there has been no discussion with EC members nor any official proposal in writing for organizing a felicitation ceremony for the medallists of Paris Olympics 2024.” Sahdev, who is also the president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, accused Usha of “spreading lies” and “cooking up” things instead of taking responsibilities as per the IOA constitution.

“…we fail to understand why IOA President is spreading lies across the whole country, to put down the EC members, which does not have any proof nor hold any genuine ground,” he said.

“… her repeated efforts and proposals are nothing but blatant lies which has been cooked by the President every now and then and shedding crocodile tears in front of the media.” India secured six medals in the Paris Olympics, including two historic bronze finishes by young shooter Manu Bhaker, but Usha on Monday said the “EC does not want to celebrate their success” and it makes her “very sad.” “These athletes have made the nation proud, and it is the responsibility of the IOA to celebrate their achievements with the respect they deserve.

“It is deeply concerning that, even after returning home in mid-August, the EC has failed to discuss or take any steps towards organizing a formal felicitation ceremony,” she had said in a statement.

She had also revealed that a proposal for a preparatory grant of Rs two lakh for each Olympic-bound athlete and Rs one lakh for each coach had been blocked by the Finance Committee, notably by Sahdev.

Reacting to this, Sadev said, “This is for the information of everyone that any proposal recommended and approved by the EC members and finance committee has been paid without any delay by Mr Sahdev Yadav, Treasurer of IOA.” The internal feud within the IOA has been on since the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as its CEO on January 5. Iyer has Usha’s backing while the EC members are unanimous in demanding his removal.

The bone of contention has been his salary of Rs 20 lakh per month, along with perks.

On September 26, an EC meeting was called to resolve the issue on the insistence of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) but the deadlock remained.

On Saturday, the 12 EC members sent a letter to senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official Jerome Poivey, accusing Usha of running the organisation in an “autocratic” manner after she rejected their demand to remove Iyer as IOA CEO during the contentious meeting.

Usha had called the accusations “malicious and false,” asserting that they were aimed at undermining her leadership and the efforts to improve Indian sports.

Running is vital for life, a belief championed by PUMA ambassadors, Harmanpreet Kaur, Indian cricket team captain, and Sarabjot Singh, Olympic bronze medallist. Putting the spotlight on it, the two sports icons fronted a colourful march through Lodhi Colony today in the capital to launch the new Race Day Tee (RDT) for Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon (VDHM), designed exclusively by official sports partner PUMA India. The 19th edition of VDHM is set to electrify Delhi’s streets on Sunday, October 20 with #AaRangDeDilli. In the run up to the main race day, sports brand PUMA India organised a larger-than-life celebrity march featuring drones and giant tees.

The launch event saw Harmanpreet and Sarabjot leadinga dynamic contingent through Delhi’s Lodhi Colony. The contingent carried a gigantic version of the RDT and some tees were unfurled by drones, adding to the visual spectacle. Reflecting #AaRangDeDilli, the new RDTs come in 4 colour stories: pink and orange for men, purple and red for women.

Commenting on the occasion, Karthik Balagopalan, Managing Director of PUMA India, said, “Running has emerged as one of the fastest growing sports in India and is heavily invested in this discipline, PUMA India is constantly looking for opportunities to build and engage with this dynamic community. Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is an iconic event in India’s sporting calendar and our long-standing partnership urges us to create newer experiences for this great capital of ours. The vibrant launch of our Race Day Tee with icons Harmanpreet Kaur and Sarabjot Singh today has been a remarkable spectacle and will set the stage for many more unforgettable moments on the main race day. As we mark our 11th year of collaboration, we are confident that our high-performance tees will continue to enhance every runner’s experience and performance.”

According to industry estimates, India today boasts of over 2 million registered runners. Professional athletes, especially, have been advocating runs as a vital part of their training and recovery.

Commenting on the occasion, Indian cricket captain and PUMA ambassador Harmanpreet Kaur, said: “Running is the simplest yet the most powerful form of exercise. It has played a critical role in my sportingcareer, building both physical endurance and mental resilience. Leading this colourful march today in the capital to launch the new PUMA Race Day Tee for Vedanta DelhiHalf Marathon is my way of sharing our love for running.”

Sarabjot Singh, Paris 2024 shootingmedallist and PUMA athlete, added,”Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is a fantastic platform to celebrate the joy of running and inspiring people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Running has been my go-to exercise before every important match as it helps clear my mind. Excited to be part of this journey through PUMA and I look forward to seeing the streets of Delhi come alive with runners on the main race day in October.”

A Race ThatUnites

Promoted by Procam International, VDHM’s participation has grown steadily each year. Since its inception, the prestigious half-marathon has expanded from a few hundred local runners to over 5,30,000 participants from across the country and the globe. PUMA India has been the official sports partner for VDHM for over a decade now

Anil Singh, Managing Director, Procam International, said, “Each year 1000-plus new runners take up the sport of running, a clear indication of its growing popularity in our country. Moreover, running has proven to be an effective experiential platform for brands. In our decade-long association, PUMA has set new benchmarks with innovative offerings and this VDHM Race Day Tee will certainly boost the morale and performance of our participants. Look forward to a spirited Race Day and reverberate #AaRangDeDilli.”

As the countdown to the main race day begins, the grand launch of the Race Day Tee in Delhi today by PUMA India serves as a reminder of the energy and excitement that the VDHM brings to the city of Delhi each year.

Sarabjot Singh, who partnered with Manu Bhaker to win India’s first ever Olympic medal in a mixed shooting event, on Saturday said they “barely” got to train together in the run-up to their event. Bhaker and Sarabjot scripted history with a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team shooting event at the Paris Games. “My training was due at 9, hers was due at 12, individually. Mixed session lasted for 30 minutes, before which she trained separately, and I separately.” “Our conversation was usually brief and limited to ‘Apna 100 per cent dena hai (we have to give our 100 per cent)’. Apart from that, we enjoyed some banter. Sometimes I would make fun of her, sometimes she would of me,” recalled Sarabjot.

Sarabjot also revealed his longtime fandom for Yusuf Dikec and said he has been looking up to the Turkish shooting icon for inspiration since 2011.

“I have been watching his (Yusuf’s) videos since 2011. He has always been like this. He is 51 today. Even though I have tried, I could not match his perfection. If I had the chance, I would ask him what he eats?,” said the 22-year-old from Dheen village of Haryana during an interview with PUMA India.

Sarabjot said that his pistol is engraved with SSINGH30, comprising his initials and a significant date in his journey.

“I didn’t give it a name. When I achieved my personal best at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, I got the weapon engraved with ‘SSINGH30’. That is my best weapon. Because my medal (gold) came on September 30 and that was a significant achievement,” he said.

The athlete also shared that he has had to deal with his fair share of setbacks in his journey. Meditation, and a rare yogic technique called Trataka, helped him.

“The main technique is to look at the candle flame with eyes open for three minutes, and then imagine for two minutes. I used to keep it directly in front of my eyes.

“Complete darkness in the room, complete peace, silence. My eyes would water; it was not easy. The most important thing is visualisation in shooting,” said Sarabjot.

In conclusion, the Olympic medallist stated his ambition for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“LA ’28; iska colour change karna hai (LA ’28, I want to change its colour),” said Sarabjot, gesturing toward his glittering bronze medal. 

Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra believes there was a scope of “more conversions” for Indian shooters at the Paris Games but overall it was a campaign which they should be proud of. India clinched six medals overall with three in shooting as Manu Bhaker became the first ever athlete from the country post Independence to earn two podium finishes in a single edition of Olympics. Alongside winning a bronze medal in women’s 10m air pistol, Manu grabbed another bronze in mixed 10m air pistol shooting with Sarabjot Singh as her teammate. India got another bronze when Swapnil Kusale finished third in the final of the 50m rifle 3 positions event in Paris.

“There have been misses, but everyone has fought well,” Bindra told Jio Cinema.

“Outcomes are important, but more than that, it’s about seeing how you’ve improved as a nation in terms of performance. If you look at those elements, we’ve performed better than before. We’d like to see more conversions to medals, but we have a lot to be proud of,” he said.

Bindra praised Manu for patching up with coach Jaspal Rana and for working in tandem for her success.

“He (Rana) is a treasure trove of knowledge, a hard taskmaster and that’s a good thing. I had coaches I loved and ones I severely disliked but found a way to work with them.” “I credit Manu for having patched up with Jaspal after a difficult couple of years, which is normal in a coach-athlete relationship. Athletes are sensitive people and when we’re under pressure, that sensitivity heightens,” he explained.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist shooter Bindra said Manu’s success in Paris was a story of resilience.

“She’s taught everyone about resilience, how to sail well, and bounce back from disappointment. The greatest moment was when she finished qualification on day one, I saw a picture of hers and she didn’t have a smile on her face. That told me she was going to do well,” he said.

Bindra said Kusale’s focus on his preparations was the standout factor.

“He was very strategic in his preparation. A lot of athletes made the long trip from Chateauroux to Paris for the opening ceremony, but Swapnil decided not to. He seemed to be a very self-aware athlete, he knew where his body and mind were,” he said.

“He didn’t want to let go of energy, something he needed for competition. Sometimes, that’s the difference between coming back with a medal or not,” Bindra added.

Bindra, however, admitted only time will heal Arjun Babuta’s wounds who finished fourth in men’s 10m air rifle event.

“I spoke to him before and after the event, he was disappointed, but he was already looking ahead. He’ll need a little bit of time to come to terms with a fourth-place finish, but that’s life, that’s what sports is all about,” Bindra said.

The Indian contingent ended Paris Olympics 2024 with six medals – one lesser than their tally at the previous Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. It was a mixed show from India as multiple athletes finished 4th in their respective categories and missed out on a medal by the smallest of margins. Shooter Manu Bhaker was the top performer with two medals – a unique feat by an athlete from independent India – while Neeraj Chopra claimed the sliver medal in men’s javelin throw. The Indian men’s hockey team claimed their second consecutive bronze medal at the Olympics thanks to a great show by skipper Harmanpreet Singh. A look at all the cash prizes that the Paris Olympics 2024 medalists will receive –

Manu Bhaker (Shooting)

Manu Bhaker scripted history by becoming the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in the same edition of the Olympics. She was awarded a cash prize of Rs 30 lakh by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya. The 22-year-old was also one of India’s flag bearers at the Paris Olympics 2024 closing ceremony.

Sarabjot Singh (Shooting)

Sarabjot Singh won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Manu Bhaker. The 22-year-old from Ambala was awarded a Rs 22.5 lakh cheque by Mansukh Mandaviya through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ cash award scheme. He was also offered a job by the Haryana government as a show of appreciation but he decided to decline the offer.

Swapnil Kusale (Shooting)

Swapnil Kusale became the first Indian shooter ever to win bronze in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Position event at the Olympics. Following his success, Swapnil was appointed as an offer on special duty by the Central Railway. He also received a prize of Rs 1 crore from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Indian men’s hockey team

The Indian men’s hockey team won their second consecutive bronze medal at the Olympics after defeating Spain 2-1. It was the perfect farewell for goalkeeper PR Sreejesh who was also one of the flag bearers in the closing ceremony. Hockey India has announced a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh for each member of the team and Rs 7.5 lakh for each member of the support staff. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi has announced a prize of Rs 4 crore for defender Amit Rohidas. He also announced a prize of Rs 15 lakh for each player and Rs 10 lakh for each support staff member. In Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a prize of Rs 1 crore for all squad members from the state. That also included captain Harmapreet Singh who was the top-scorer at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw)

Neeraj Chopra claimed silver at the Paris Olympics 2024 javelin throw event with the gold medal going to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem who broke the Olympic record with a monster 92.97m throw. While no official announcement has been made about Neeraj’s cash prizes, it is expected that he will receive multiple awards from various sources. In 2021, when he claimed gold at the Tokyo Olympics, he was awarded a cash prize of Rs 6 crore by the Haryana Government.

Aman Sehrawat (Wrestling)

Aman Sehrawat was the only Indian wrestler to win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 as he claimed bronze in the 57m freestyle event. He also became the youngest Indian athlete to win an Olympics medal. No official announcement has been made about the cash prizes he will receive.

Paris Olympics 2024 Live Streaming, Closing Ceremony: When And Where To Watch?© AFP

Image for representative use© AFP

Star pistol shooter Manu Bhaker landed back in the country on Wednesday after her historic feat of winning two medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games and was welcomed by hundreds of supporters and her family, who braved a steady drizzle to give her a memorable reception in New Delhi. The Air India flight (AI 142), which brought Bhaker from Paris to Delhi, landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 9:20am, delayed by one hour.

Hundreds of people, who waited at the airport long before her arrival despite the morning drizzle in the city, accorded her — and her coach Jaspal Rana — an enthusiastic reception.

STORY | Double Olympic bronze medal-winning shooter Manu Bhaker (@realmanubhaker) returns home

READ: https://t.co/FsW74IB6jQ

VIDEO : pic.twitter.com/8MmPnW7WMH

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 7, 2024

The 22-year-old Bhaker won a bronze each in the women’s 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team event — where she had paired with Sarabjot Singh — to script Olympic history for the country.

Before her, only British-Indian athlete Norman Pritchard had achieved the rare landmark for the country with his two silver medals in 200m sprint and 200m hurdles at the 1900 Olympics but this happened in the pre-Independence era.

Before leaving for India, Bhaker had stated that she was looking forward to a grand welcome and she was not disappointed on Wednesday.

The youngster was greeted with bouquets, garlands, and celebratory dhol after emerging from the airport exit.

Flower petals were showered on her and Rana as soon as they came out amid significant police presence to manage the crowd.

Among those present were Bhaker’s parents — Ram Kishan and Sumedha — and sports enthusiasts and officials from her home state Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, the state to which Rana belongs.

Rana’s father was also there at the airport.

“It is a matter of pride for us that a daughter of India is coming back after creating history by winning two medals in an Olympics. It has never happened before. She is only 22 years old,” said former Uttarakhand Sports Minister and Rana’s father, Narayan Singh Rana.

“She is coming along with her coach Jaspal Rana. He is my son. He brought glory playing for India in shooting. Jaspal Rana and Abhinav Bindra started it all,” he added.

People gathered at the airport long before her arrival and they celebrated her feat with song and dance, holding banners with photos of Bhaker and Rana.

Bhaker will be meeting sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the afternoon. She will head back to Paris on Saturday to participate in the closing ceremony on Sunday where she will be one of India’s flag-bearers.

An athlete’s journey is not without its share of injury travails and there was a phase in Paris Olympic medallist Sarabjot Singh’s career when he was not able to lift his pistol even once, let alone repeat the exercise 60 times in competition. Careful planning and rehabilitation, however, saw him emerge from the career-threatening injury, which occurred in March last year, to become the joint bronze-medallist with Manu Bhaker in mixed team 10m air pistol event at the quadrennial showpiece.

As he touched down to a rapturous welcome in Delhi on Thursday afternoon, he seemed to have found a new motivation to aim higher, but in between the 22-year-old and his coach Abhishek Rana gave a glimpse of the phase when he was miles away from clinching even an Olympic quota place, let alone appear in the national trials and finally shoot down the mixed team bronze along with Manu in Paris.

“I am happy that the days of uncertainty are behind me. Just after the Bhopal World Cup in March last year, I developed a serious shoulder problem in my shooting arm, where I could not lift my arm to take even a single shot, leave aside a 60-shot qualification,” said Sarabjot in an interaction with PTI on the sidelines of a function to felicitate him by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“There was a phase when after five shots I used to sit down for a while with an ice-pack to relieve the pain and stiffness. Later it became so intense that I could not even lift the pistol to the height of the target,” he added.

Sarabjot developed an impingement injury due to his shoulder blade rubbing against his collarbone, causing extreme discomfort and pain.

A shoulder impingement is caused by the constant rubbing of the bones, resulting in swelling, which causes pain and irritation. Several pistol shooters suffer from the impingement syndrome.

“I could not compete in the World University Games, left the Olympic Games camp in Chateauroux and I had to take heavy doses of steroids before the Asian Games to relieve the pain as PRP (platelet-rich plasma therapy) would have taken a lot more time,” said Sarabjot.

PRP is a non-invasive medical procedure that makes use of a patient’s blood to encourage the repair and regeneration of injured tissue.

“I won two medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games — men’s team gold and mixed team silver. Then I won the Olympic Games quota at the Asian Championships in Changwon, South Korea.

“Gradually due to regular physiotherapy, the pain started subsiding and I could get back to my normal shooting routine,” he said, adding he didn’t go to Paris with any expectations but with loads of “motivation and dedication”.

“It (injury) happened over a period of time as we do only exercises specific to holding the pistol steady, which weakens the other muscles. But the symptoms aggravated all of a sudden,” said Sarabjot, who had missed an individual bronze at the Games and finished fourth.

Shedding light on the injury his coach Abhishek Rana, who has been with Sarabjot since 2016, said, at one point in time, there was a feeling of the Olympic dream going up in smoke.

“You prepare a shooter with so much dedication and then this injury happens. You are helpless and don’t know what to do. Sarabjot was advised complete rest for his shoulder for three months,” said Rana.

“That was the time we started focusing on his mental training. Those three months were completely dedicated to that. And after that, gradually, he started getting back to training.

“Five shots and after that a long break, then 10 shots followed by another break and so on, to bring him up to speed,” said Rana, who had accompanied Sarabjot to Paris.

The shooter from a village in Ambala added that he could have aimed for a silver and possibly a gold medal in the mixed team air pistol but he was “completely clueless how he made those poor shots”.

“I will work on the deficiencies next time and not repeat the same mistakes again.” Sarabjot added that the day he missed the men’s 10m air pistol medal, he became more determined to give it his best shot in mixed team.

With just a day in between to turn around things he put in several hours on dry holding the pistol for more stability of the arm.

“After I completed my 10m air pistol match in the morning, I returned to the venue again in the evening to do dry holding for 3-4 hours. The inspiration was there that after losing one medal I won’t let the second one too slip by,” he added.