World Championships: Rudrankksh returns to Cairo as India eyes strong start

CAIRO: Former world champion Rudrankksh Patil will look to recreate the magic of 2022 when the ISSF World Championships return to the Egyptian capital on Saturday.

For the charismatic 21-year-old, the event marks a homecoming of sorts to his favourite range, where he first made his mark as a teenager and later became only the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra (2006) to win the 10m air rifle world title. Three years on, Rudrankksh will aim to open his campaign for LA 2028 Olympic qualification with another podium finish.

He will be in action on the opening day alongside Olympian Arjun Babuta and Vishal Singh, both of whom are serious contenders. Rudrankksh and Babuta have been in impressive form this season, with Rudrankksh clinching gold at the Buenos Aires World Cup and Babuta winning silver in Lima. The trio, however, face a formidable 110-strong field featuring Olympic champion and world record holder Sheng Lihao of China, who won bronze in Cairo three years ago.

In the women’s 10m air rifle event, Olympian Elavenil Valarivan, Meghana Sajjanar, and Shreya Agrawal will also look to make their mark. Both Elavenil and Meghana have secured World Cup medals this year, but will need to bring their best against a stacked field that includes Olympic champion Ban Hyojin of Korea and Chinese teenagers Wang Zifei and Peng Xinlu.

National rifle coach Deepali Deshpande said the team has prepared well and is in good rhythm. “We came early, settled in, and have trained hard both here and in camp last month. The shooters had a short break and are fresh, confident, and eager to compete. The weather has been perfect,” she said in a release by the National Rifle Association of India.

The opening day will also feature Olympian Anish Bhanwala, Adarsh Singh, and Sameer in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol qualification.

The Cairo championships also serve as the final opportunity for shooters to qualify for the ISSF World Cup Finals in Doha in December. India, who topped the standings at both World Cups here in the past two years, have fielded a 40-member squad across 17 events, including all 10 Olympic disciplines.