India finished second to China in the first World Cup of the season in Buenos Aires (8 medals to China’s 11), took third places in the next two legs in Lima (seven medals) and Munich (four medals) and came fifth (two medals) in the China (Ningbo) leg, where a second-string side was given an opportunity.

At the Asian Championships too, India’s young shooters showed their new-found confidence to finish second (30) in the medal tally behind China (31).

However, cracking the World Championship is far tougher. At the 2023 world championships in Baku, India won only two individual medals in Olympic events — Akhil Sheoran and Mehuli Ghosh securing bronze medals and Paris Olympics quota places for India in 50m rifle three positions. The other big medal in Olympic discipline came in the 10m air pistol mixed team. A year before in Cairo, Rudrankksh Patil delivered a brilliant performance to become world champion in 10m air rifle, only the second Indian shooter to achieve this feat after Abhinav Bindra (2006, Zagreb).

The Paris Olympics has been a gamechanger for the shooting contingent. Manu Bhaker’s bronze medals (air pistol individual and mixed team with Sarabjot Singh) and Swapnil Kusale’s bronze in 50m rifle three positions have given them the confidence to challenge the best. Expectations, therefore, would be high at the Cairo worlds. Both Olympic medallists will be keen to win their first individual world championships medals.

On the opening day, the 10m air rifle finals for men and women are scheduled. Back to the venue where he became a world champion, Rudrankksh would be raring to go against a top quality field that includes Paris Olympics champion Sheng Lihao of China, Danilo Sollazzo of Italy, who set a new world record on his way to victory in Ningbo, and defending champion and Olympic silver medallist Sweden’s Victor Lindgren.

In women’s air rifle, two-time Olympian Elavenil Valarivan will be the one to watch out for India, having won the Asian title this year. The other two are Meghana Sajjanar — the bronze medallist in Ningbo and Shreya Agrawal, the 2018 junior world champion who is making a comeback to the team.

Hopes high from Manu, Suruchi in air pistol

India’s best bets will be in the 10m air pistol women’s event with Olympic bronze medallist Manu Bhaker and Suruchi Phogat, the only Indian ranked No 1 in the world.

Manu, who will also compete in 25m sports pistol, has the experience to break her world championships drought — she has two medals in team events but nothing in the individual competition.

In the 50m rifle three positions, Paris Olympics medallist Kusale and battle-hardened Asian champion Aishwary Pratap Tomar can soak the pressure of the big stage and deliver.

In the women’s event, Sift Kaur Samra will carry the confidence of winning the Asian title and world cup individual gold this season.