Shooters Akhil Sheoran and Aishwary Pratap added more medals to India's tally in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers 2024. Akhil Sheoran clinched the gold medal, while Aishwary Pratap secured a silver medal in the 50m Rifle 3P event. It's noteworthy that India had already secured the maximum two quota places in this event. Several Indian shooters have now won medals in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers 2024, solidifying their spots for the Paris Olympics.
Rhythm Sangwan secured India's 16th quota for the Paris Olympics after winning a bronze medal in the 25m sports pistol at the Asian Qualifiers. India is set to send its largest contingent for Shooting to the Olympic Games, securing the maximum quota for the Paris Olympics scheduled for July-August.
This marks India's third Olympic quota in the Asian Qualifiers, with Isha Singh and Varun Tomar previously earning quotas in the 10-meter air pistol women's and men's categories. Rhythm Sangwan, a 20-year-old shooter from Haryana, contributed to India's 25m sports pistol team, which included Isha and Manu Bhaker, securing a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year. Rhythm's third-place finish in the final with 28 points was sufficient to secure a quota for the Paris Olympics.
China's Yang Jin claimed the gold medal with 41 points, and Kim Yeji of Korea secured the silver medal with 32 points. This marks Rhythm's second bronze medal in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, following her third-place finish in the 10-meter air pistol category. Despite not securing an Olympic quota in that category, Rhythm expressed gratitude to her personal coach Vineet Kumar for her success and thanked all her supporters. When asked which of the three medals she is most proud of, Rhythm emphasized that all the medals are close to her heart, but the bronze in the 25m sports pistol event was special because it allowed her to win a quota for the country.