Change in IPC rules forces PCI to surrender Tokyo Paralympics hero Singhraj’s Paris quota

Double Paralympic medallist shooter Singhraj Adhana will not be competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games due to a change in competition rules by the International Paralympic Committee. Singhraj, who won silver and bronze medals at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, will have to surrender his quota spot as only eight shooters from India will be able to participate in Paris, despite the country securing nine quota places.

The decision was made by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) selection panel for shooting, following the new guidelines set by the World Shooting Para Sports (WSPS). The reduction in the number of shooters allowed per event from three to two in Paris forced the PCI to make the difficult decision to leave out Singhraj.

Rudransh Khandelwal and Nihal Singh will represent India in the 25m pistol event, while Manish Narwal and Rudransh are currently leading in the 10m air pistol P1 category. Singhraj, who had secured a quota in the 10m air pistol event, will now serve as a reserve in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

The PCI has also applied for wildcard spots for Rubina Francis and Swaroop Unhalkar, who narrowly missed out on securing quotas. National para shooting coach Subhash Rana expressed confidence in their chances of receiving wildcards and potentially winning medals in Paris based on their past performances and world rankings.

Despite the setback for Singhraj, the Indian para shooting contingent remains optimistic about their prospects at the upcoming Paralympic Games and is determined to make the country proud on the international stage.