Indian Shooters Gear Up for ISSF World Cup in Cairo

Indian Contingent Set for ISSF World Cup

The ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol is set to take place in Cairo, Egypt, from October 8 to October 16, 2026, featuring a strong 24-member Indian team led by Olympic bronze medallists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh.

After an intensive training camp in Dehradun from October 1 to 7, 2026, the squad is ready to compete. The camp, held at Maharana Pratap Sports College, focused on match simulations and refining technical skills.

India will participate in eight individual Olympic events and two mixed team competitions, showcasing a blend of experienced Olympians and emerging talents.

Swapnil Kusale will lead the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions team, joined by Akhil Sheoran and Adriyan Karmakar. In the Men's 10m Air Rifle category, Olympian Arjun Babuta will head the team alongside Deaflympics champion Dhanush Srikanth and Paarth Makhija, who recently secured silver at the 2026 Asian Shooting Championships.

For the women's rifle events, two-time Olympian Anjum Moudgil will guide the 50m Rifle 3 Positions team with Ayushi Podder and Manini Kaushik. Arya Rajesh Borse, a promising shooter who earned silver at the Buenos Aires World Cup, will compete in the Women's 10m Air Rifle alongside Khyati Chaudhary and Ismita Bhowal.

In the men's pistol events, Sarabjot Singh, a bronze medallist from Paris 2024, will lead the Men's 10m Air Pistol team with Ajendra Singh Chauhan and Udhayveer Sidhu. Vijayveer Sidhu will spearhead the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol category, supported by Suraj Sharma and Ankur Goel.

The women's pistol team includes Asian Games champion Palak, who will compete in the Women's 10m Air Pistol with Muskan and Surbhi Rao. Olympian Rhythm Sangwan, former World Cup gold medallist Chinki Yadav, and Divya TS will represent in the Women's 25m Sports Pistol.

Following the official pre-event training and technical meetings, competitive shooting will commence on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The opening day will feature finals for both the 10m air pistol mixed team and 10m air rifle mixed team events. Ajendra Singh Chauhan will partner with Palak, while Udhayveer Sidhu teams up with Muskan in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event. The 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event will see Paarth Makhija and Arya Rajesh Borse, along with Dhanush Srikanth and Khyati Chaudhary, competing. Individual qualification rounds and finals across the 10m, 25m, and 50m ranges will continue until October 15, 2026.

Here is the Indian squad for the ISSF World Cup in Cairo 2026:

– 10m Air Rifle Men: Paarth Makhija, Dhanush Srikanth, Arjun Babuta

– 10m Air Rifle Women: Arya Rajesh Borse, Khyati Chaudhary, Ismita Bhowal

– 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men: Akhil Sheoran, Adriyan Karmakar, Swapnil Suresh Kusale

– 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women: Anjum Moudgil, Ayushi Podder, Manini Kaushik

– 10m Air Pistol Men: Sarabjot Singh, Ajendra Singh Chauhan, Udhayveer Sidhu

– 10m Air Pistol Women: Palak, Muskan, Surbhi Rao

– 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men: Suraj Sharma, Vijayveer Sidhu, Ankur Goel

– 25m Sports Pistol Women: Divya TS, Rhythm Sangwan, Chinki Yadav

– 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team: Paarth Makhija and Arya Rajesh Borse; Dhanush Srikanth and Khyati Chaudhary

– 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team: Ajendra Singh Chauhan and Palak; Udhayveer Sidhu and Muskan.