Delhi to host Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships, eight Los Angeles 2028 Olympic quotas at stake

NEW DELHI: India will stage next year’s Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship in Delhi, where eight quota places for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be on offer — a landmark moment for the country’s shooting calendar, which already includes an Olympic qualifying World Cup.Those eight Asian quotas will come in addition to the 12 Olympic berths available at the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun), scheduled to be held in Delhi from April 21 to 30 next year.The Asian Shooting Confederation confirmed India’s hosting rights in a letter to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Singh Deo, while the NRAI said the dates for the Asian qualifier will be announced later."We congratulate National Rifle Association of India for winning the hosting rights of Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2027 where eight Quota Places will be distributed for the LA 2028 Olympics."We are confident that, under your leadership, the championship will be organised to the highest standards and will be a great success," the letter, accessed by PTI, said.Calling it a proud moment for the country, NRAI secretary general Pawankumar Singh said India will, for the first time, host two Olympic quota competitions."This is the first time India will be hosting two Olympic quota competitions and we are very proud of that. We will host the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun (April 21-30) in New Delhi and the Asian Championships in Rifle and Pistol here at the Karni Singh Ranges," said Singh."The dates for the Asian Championships will be announced later but we are very happy that the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has shown faith in our abilities to organise major competitions."This shows the growing clout of Indian shooting sport and the confidence the international body has in us," he added.Singh expressed hope that Indian shooters would make the most of the two events to secure the maximum possible quota places.After opting not to award Olympic qualification slots through World Cups during the Paris cycle, the ISSF has restored quota status to these events for the Los Angeles Games."Indian shooters will hopefully capitalise on this opportunity and aim for the maximum quota allocation of 24 places for a country, surpassing the 22 quotas they secured ahead of the Paris Games," Singh said.Meanwhile, Delhi is set to host this year’s Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships from Wednesday at the Karni Singh Ranges, with more than 300 shooters from 20 countries competing across junior and senior categories.