ISSF World Cup final a celebration of excellence: Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya

Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya called the shooting World Cup final, which commenced here on Monday, a celebration of excellence and added that the country felt honoured to welcome the best in the business.

The event, being held at the Karni Singh Ranges, brings together 200 shooters from 37 nations, including Olympic medallists.

Indian pistol shooter Rhythm Sangwan headlines the hosts' 23-member squad in the season-ending tournament.

While Paris Olympics bronze-medallist shooters Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale have opted to skip the event, rising stars such as Ganemat Sekhon (women's skeet) and Sonam Maskar (women's 10m air rifle) will look to excel in the tournament, having earned their spots based on world rankings.

The Indian squad features nine athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics , including Arjun Babuta (men's 10m air rifle), Anish Bhanwala (men's 25m rapid fire pistol.

"We are honoured to welcome the world's finest shooting talent, along with athletes, officials, and spectators from across the globe. Hosting this prestigious event is a privilege for India, and we hope you feel like family during your time here," said Mandaviya during the opening ceremony.

"It showcases the best of our sport and strengthens global camaraderie. To the athletes, your presence is a testament to your hard work and greatness. Compete with pride and embrace the values of sportsmanship. The World Cup Final is not just a competition, but a celebration of excellence and unity," he added.

International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) president Luciano Rossi said he was hoping shooting sport will become even more popular in the years to come.

"We have shooters from 37 countries across all continents here to compete, and we look forward to welcoming even more nations to this sport in the future," said Rossi.

India's young guns Tilottama Sen and Sonam Uttam Maskar will compete in women's air rifle while the Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics , Divyansh Panwar will take aim in the men's air rifle.

Rhythm Sangwan and Arjun Cheema lead India's charge in the women's and men's air pistol respectively, alongside Surbhi Rao and Varun Tomar.

The world's top six athletes of the combined six ISSF World Cup stages held throughout 2024, along with Paris Olympic medallists, defending ISSF World Cup Final champions and reigning world champions have achieved direct qualification in the 12 events.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has handed out several wild cards to its shooters to fill up the maximum two shooters per country per event quota, in case they have not achieved the same through direct qualification. PTI AM AM KHS