Coach Peter Wilson, a gold medallist at the London Olympics, keeps an eye on the Indian shotgun shooters on the eve of the Junior World Cup in Delhi on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Indian shooters will be hard to stop, especially in the absence of the Chinese, in the Junior World Cup starting at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, on Thursday.
The Indian shooters did top the medals table in the Junior World Cup held in Suhl, Germany, earlier in the season, with three gold, four silver and four bronze, when China won three gold and a bronze.
Of course, China has been dominant in the four main World Cups this season that featured rifle and pistol events, topping the medals table as usual, winning 16 gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze. Indian shooters won nine gold, six silver and six bronze in those World Cups.
The Koreans have invariably stayed away from the Junior competitions. In fact, among the 200 odd shooters expected to feature in 18 Olympic and non-Olympic events, India will have the lion’s share of 69. The USA has sent 20 shooters, while Italy (10), Czechia (9), Spain (8), Iran (8), Croatia (7), Britain (6), UAE (5), Slovakia (5), Qatar (4), Oman (4), Finland (3), the Netherlands (3), Cyprus (3), New Zealand (2), Saudi Arabia (2) will be the other countries fighting for the 54 medals.
There will also be a big contingent of Individual Neutral Athletes (40).
The opening day will see the non-Olympic event of 50-metre rifle prone for junior men and women.
Having notched up 99 medals in the Asian championship, including 50 gold, with a strong team of 182 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, the Indian shooters will aim to be at their best in familiar home conditions.
Published – September 24, 2025 08:08 pm IST
