Pune to host first-ever Shooting League of Maharashtra from April 17

Pune, April 15 Pune will host the inaugural Shooting League of Maharashtra (SLM)from April 17–19 at the Chhatraguj Nurses School, Amanora Park. Organised by the Maharashtra Rifle Association (MRA), the league represents a key step in the structured rollout of the Shooting League of India (SLI) ecosystem at the state level.

Following the successful introduction of the Shooting League of Karnataka recently, the Maharashtra edition marks the next phase in a calibrated, pan-India approach to building a competitive league framework for the sport.

For the first time in Maharashtra, the SLM will introduce a team-based format with 18 district teams competing in 10m rifle and pistol events. A total of 144 athletes will represent their districts, infusing regional pride into a structured league aligned with SLI’s competition philosophy.

The league will implement a shorter, more dynamic match format in line with the SLI blueprint, aiming to boost spectator engagement and simplify the sport without compromising high-performance standards.

The inaugural edition will feature some of India’s top shooting talents. Olympians and renowned coaches like Rahi Sarnobat, Anjali Bhagwat, Suma Shirur, Deepali Deshpande, Tejaswini Sawant, Rudranksh Patil, and Coach Ronak Pandit will serve as mentors. They will share their expertise to help develop athletes within the league.

Reflecting the sport’s merit-driven nature, the SLM will adopt an inclusive format without gender restrictions, permitting mixed teams and promoting equal opportunities in competition.

With input from districts across Maharashtra, the league aims to strengthen the sport's competitive foundation and establish a more prominent, engaging platform that connects athletes with fans, supporting the larger vision of the Shooting League of India.

Building on the momentum of previous state initiatives, the MRA takes a key step with the Shooting League of Maharashtra. It aims to implement the SLI vision by establishing a unified system that links grassroots involvement, fan engagement, and top-tier competition into one cohesive ecosystem.

Teams & Shooters – Shooting League of Maharashtra 2026

Sobo Giants (Mumbai City)

Rifle: Bhakti Khamkar, Aditi Singh, Shriya Gole, Sara Wadke

Pistol: Jaj Mandal, Het Patel, Prajna Kesarkar, Gazhla Naushad

Western Rangers (Mumbai Suburban)

Rifle: Nimesh Jadhav, Anshika Singh, Kaustubh Patil, Darshan Lohima

Pistol: Yash Jawalkar, Geeta Mhaske, Anagh Ghosh, Niara Kedar

Rokhthok Thane (Thane)

Rifle: Arikta Singh, Swati Baudh, Dhruv Kinalekar, Dhairyashil Patil

Pistol: Pravin Mishra, Siddhesh Thorat, Toshali Bhuta, Veyanka Daga

Aamhi Punekar (Pune)

Rifle: Medhavi Kudale, Sakshi Padeka, Simra Khan, Suhas Kumbhar

Pistol: Prathmesh Kadam, Rajlaxmi Gore, Chetan Sapkal, Tejas Waghere

Rajdhani Satara (Satara)

Rifle: Asawari Melavane, Viraj Patil, Anushka Mangrule, Ritul Kundle

Pistol: Shubham Kshirsagar, Janhavi Deshmukh, Sheetal Desai, Aditi Jadhav

Kolhapur Bisons (Kolhapur)

Rifle: Samiksha Patil, Sumedh Sasane, Atharva Patil, Dnyaneshwari Patil

Pistol: Anurag Chougale, Pranjali Dhumal, Tejas Dhere, Abhidnya Patil

Raigad Warriors (Raigad)

Rifle: Parth Mane, Isha Taksale, Rahul Sharma, Divya Dhumal

Pistol: Santosh Sawant, Janvi Manatkar, Sameedha Chavan, Priyanka Susvirkar

Sangli Alpha Lions (Sangli)

Rifle: Aditi Hadagal, Pratik Jong, Swara Magdum, Alphia Attar

Pistol: Pranav Patil, Naeem Nardekar, Vaishnavi Raje, Viren Girigosavi

Nashik Nem-Baz (Nashik)

Rifle: Amruta Patil, Radhesh Pardeshi, Soha Inamdar, Komal Sahane

Pistol: Suraj Datir, Radhika Mahale, Shraddha Jagtap, Sairaj Kankate

Golden Finger (Palghar)

Rifle: Mayuri Pawar, Aditri Bhatt, Gayatri Pedde, Arnav Parab

Pistol: Vijay Satote, Shreem Pasad, Raajwardhan Patil, Nirbhai Girse

Solapuri Bramhasra (Solapur)

Rifle: Shraddha Divate, Kiran Rajmane, Payal Nandugade, Jagruti Chakote

Pistol: Vaishnavi Tingare, Prathamesh Bansode, Yashraj Gujare, Vaishnavi Khatavkar

Ahilyanagar Lakshveer (Ahilyanagar)

Rifle: Abhishek Kamthe, Anvita Jadhav, Saumya Khedkar, Sneha Jangale

Pistol: Rohit Wagh, Swamini Jejurkar, Rohit Wagh, Raunak Tokshiya

(Aurangabad Team – TBC)

Rifle: Rohan Jadhav, Parth Kulkarni, Dhanvi Sawaiwala, Radhika Sonwane

Pistol: Krushnali Rajput, Shraddha Tale, Omkar Chavan, Harshvardhan Sirsath

Amravati Dhurandhar (Amravati)

Rifle: Ansh Kature, Shravani Shrirav, Savi Gulhane, Yash Veni

Pistol: Tiya Loya, Harsh Bakal, Alvin Manu, Tanishka Deshmukh

Wardha Warriors (Wardha)

Rifle: Shawari Pakhale, Gauri Mane, Aishwarya Powar, Vinit Ghugal

Pistol: Urja Kalekar, Shantanu Bhosale, Kasturi Gore, Atharva Pawade

Chandrapur Diamonds (Chandrapur)

Rifle: Prerana Morey, Avantika Shelke, Vedanti Bhatt, Krishna Shelke

Pistol: Tosif Sayyed, Juily Dhapodkar, Gaurav Zende, Mahesh Ghadge

Nagpur Tigers (Nagpur)

Rifle: Samiksha Narsingkar, Kaiwalya Lande, Dharini Borade, Heemanshu Gabhane

Pistol: Abhay Dhamale, Prerna Yadav, Parmesha Zade, Adnan Ali

Ratnagiri Shiledar (Ratnagiri)

Rifle: Yashika Shinde, Harsh Bagave, Nirzara Patil, Lakshya Indurkar

Pistol: Swayam Desai, Rakesh Kadam, Sairaj Kate, Riya Kadam

--IANS

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