Shooters will be one of the first athletes who'll have a chance to secure Olympic quotas for upcoming 2028 LA Games. The ISSF, the world shooting body, confirmed on Monday that the upcoming World Championships (rifle/pistol and shotgun) in Doha will also have Olympic quota places of LA28 on the line. The World Championships, which is set to be held in November this year, will be the first event that will have Olympic quotas on offer. This development is not new for the shooters and the coaches as they were well-aware of the path ahead.
"Beginning with the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Doha, Qatar, in November 2026, athletes from around the world will compete not only for international titles but also for the opportunity to secure their nations' places at the Olympic Games," the ISSF said in its announcement.
The Indian team (rifle and pistol shooters) had a training camp at the MP State Shooting Academy in Bhopal recently and they are expected to return to the same venue on September 5 for the final camp as part of Asian Games preparations. "Our preparations are going really well. Our focus at the moment is Asian Games and after that, we'll turn our focus towards the World Championships," Manoj Kumar, India high performance coach, said.
Following that event, there are multiple events — World Cups, continental championships and multi-sport events where shooters will have a chance to secure the prized quotas.
From India's perspective, the New Delhi World Cup (rifle/pistol/shotgun), which is scheduled to be held from April 21 to 30, will also be one of the World Cups which will have Olympic quotas on offer.
India is also scheduled to host the Asian Championship (rifle/pistol) in December next year and that event will also have quotas up for grabs. Additionally, the ISSF said that more there could be more competitions that could be included as part of qualification pathway.
"The ISSF reminds Member Federations that the qualification calendar is not yet finalised. Additional competitions may be included in the qualification pathway, and further updates will be communicated as soon as they are confirmed."