New Delhi, October 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Olympic bronze medallists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh will spearhead a 24-member Indian contingent at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Cairo, Egypt, being held from October 8 to 16, 2026.
The Indian squad travelled to Cairo after completing an intensive national training camp at Maharana Pratap Sports College in Dehradun from October 1 to 7. During the camp, shooters focused on match simulations and fine-tuning their technical routines ahead of the international competition.
India will compete across eight individual Olympic disciplines and two mixed team events, with the contingent combining experienced Olympians and promising young shooters.
In the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, Swapnil Kusale will lead the squad alongside Akhil Sheoran and Adriyan Karmakar. Olympian Arjun Babuta will spearhead India’s men’s 10m Air Rifle challenge, joined by Deaflympics champion Dhanush Srikanth and Paarth Makhija. Babuta won silver at the 2026 Asian Shooting Championships in New Delhi.
In the women’s rifle events, two-time Olympian Anjum Moudgil will compete in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions alongside Ayushi Podder and Manini Kaushik. Arya Rajesh Borse, who won silver at the Buenos Aires World Cup, will feature in the women’s 10m Air Rifle event with Khyati Chaudhary and Ismita Bhowal.
In the men’s pistol events, Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Sarabjot Singh will lead the 10m Air Pistol team alongside Ajendra Singh Chauhan and Udhayveer Sidhu. Vijayveer Sidhu will spearhead India’s campaign in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event, joined by Suraj Sharma and Ankur Goel.
The women’s pistol squad features Asian Games champion Palak in the 10m Air Pistol event alongside Muskan and Surbhi Rao. Olympian Rhythm Sangwan, former World Cup gold medallist Chinki Yadav and Divya TS will represent India in the women’s 25m Sports Pistol competition.
Following official pre-event training and technical meetings on Friday, competitive shooting is scheduled to begin on Saturday.
The opening day will feature finals in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team and 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team events. Ajendra Singh Chauhan will partner Palak, while Udhayveer Sidhu will team up with Muskan in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team competition.
In the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event, Paarth Makhija will partner Arya Rajesh Borse, while Dhanush Srikanth will team up with Khyati Chaudhary.
Individual qualification rounds and finals across the 10m, 25m and 50m events will continue through October 15.
Indian Squad for ISSF World Cup 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
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