Al Ain (UAE), March 18 Top para shooters including Sydney 2019 World Championships medallists Manish Narwal and Singhraj will be in action at the season opening Al Ain 2021 Shooting Para Sport World Cup starting Thursday.
As many as 120 athletes from 24 nations are competing in the first World Shooting Para Sport competition in more than one year that runs until March 24 at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, the same venue that will host the next World Championships in 2022.
Narwal and Singhraj have been joined by World Cup medallists Avani Lekhara, Deepender Singh, Sidhartha Babu and Swaroop Mahavir Unhalkar, all of whom have secured quotas for India for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, besides Rahul Jakhar and promising Rubina Francis in a 13-member team arriving here in Al Ain.
Both Narwal and Lekhara have had a golden start to the 2021 season having clinched the multiple Nationals titles at India's first-ever National Championships held recently.
"It was a very nice experience to perform after almost one year. I won six gold and two silver. I took it as a trial match for the upcoming World Cup and gave my best," said Lekhara.
Among the top names, Iran's first ever Paralympic gold medallist in shooting Sareh Javanmardi, a regular in the tournament, will be one of the star attractions.
Meanwhile, Ukraine will have Rio 2016 Paralympic medallist Olekshii Denysiuk and Iryna Liakhu in their ranks enough to put up a strong challenge in the P3 men's 25m air pistol SH1 and P2 women's 10m air pistol SH1 events, respectively.
( With inputs from IANS )
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