Tangier (Morocco), March 26 (IANS) The Indian skeet squad is all set for action as the competition day of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup Tangier gets underway at the Club Tangérois de Tir in Tangier, Morocco, on Thursday. The opening event of the 2026 season will feature some of the world’s most accomplished shooters participating in a strong field.

Day one of the competition will start with 75 targets for both men and women, which will be followed by 50 targets and the final on Sunday. The competitions will begin at 13:30 IST (9 AM local time) and the women’s finals will start at 20:30 IST (4 PM local time), followed by the men’s finals at 22:00 IST (5:30 PM local time) on Sunday.

A highly competitive field consisting of Olympic and World Champions has entered the competition. India has entered the maximum quota of six athletes in both men and women, along with two shooters each in both men and women, who will be competing for ranking points.

The women’s field is packed with stars like the reigning Olympic champion Francisca Crovetto Chadid of Chile, who is returning to international competition after maternity leave, headlining the women’s competition along with reigning world champion Samantha Simonton of the United States. Diana Bacosi of Italy, a double Olympic and double world champion, also starts, while former world champion Dania Jo Vizzi of the USA, Kazakhstan’s world championship medallist Assem Orynbay, among others, make it a highly competitive field.

The Indian team consists of Olympian Maheshwari Chauhan and siblings Darshana Rathore and Yashasvi Rathore. Yashasvi, the youngest of the two, was placed second in the 68th Nationals and also won silver in the junior category at the Asian Championships in Shymkent last year. Areeba Khan and Mansi Raghuwanshi will also be competing, but only for ranking points.

In the men’s event, an 82-strong field has entered the competition with World Championship 2025 bronze medallist Emil Kjeldgaard Petersen of Denmark headlining the list. Last season’s World Cup finals winner Christian Elliot of the USA, Italy’s double Olympic champion Gabriele Rossetti, Tokyo silver medallist Jesper Hansen, also of Denmark, and former world champion and Asian Games champion Masoud Saleh Al-Athba of Qatar are among the top names in the competition. Also representing Canada for the first time will be Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, who was in India colours till last year.

India’s hopes are set on the experienced Man Singh and Parampal Singh Guron, along with Jyotiraditya Singh Sisodiya, who is making his senior international debut. Man, a former Asian champion, is making a comeback into the team after three years, while Parampal last represented India in 2022. Jyotiraditya won a junior bronze in his last international outing at the Shymkent Asian Championships last year and will be raring to go on his senior India debut. Sukhbir Singh Harika and junior national champion Harmehar Singh Lally will be competing for ranking points.

With Olympic champions, world champions, experienced finalists, and emerging talents all competing, the World Cup promises a compelling start to the season. As athletes begin their journey towards Olympic qualification pathways, all eyes will be on Tangier to see who sets the early benchmark for the year ahead.

–IANS

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