A high-quality action – laced by precision, control and mental toughness – is set to take centre stage when the Shooting Para Sport competition gets under way at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, a familiar range in the outskirts of Paris, from August 30.
13 Paralympic champions will be crowned over seven days with the world’s best set to fight it out for the top honours.
Asia is expected to put up a dominant show once again with China, India, South Korea and Iran likely to be among the medals.
China have topped the medals at the last Games, as they did at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year with same number of four gold medals. India and Iran followed to be in the top three.
This time in Paris, China will have a strong representation in rifle events with their multiple-time Paralympic champion Dong Chao, Yang Chao, Zhang Cuiping ready to defend their Tokyo 2020 titles. In pistol events, Huang Xing, the Tokyo 2020 and Hangzhou 2022 champion in P4 should lead the charge.
Meanwhile, India will be hoping to win a couple of medals at Paris. They already have Paralympic champions in Avani Lekhara (R2- 10m air rifle standing) and Manish Narwal (P4- mixed 50m pistol SH1).
Both the stars have been in great form last year securing top podium finishes in Lima 2023 Worlds and the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
However, over the past year, their youngsters have joined the elite ranks – Rudransh Khandelwal and Nihal Singh are ready to make some noise in their debut Paralympic Games. They have showed promising results last year with medals in Lima 2023 Worlds and Hangzhou 2022.
Likewise, Mona Agarwal will be giving company to Lekhara and making India a strong contender in medals in rifle events.
South Korea will have some names ready to make amends after their show at Tokyo 2020. Seasoned star Park Jinho is a silver medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Games and Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games.
Hangzhou 2022 stars Lee Jangho (R1- men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1), Lee Myungho (R4 – mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2) and Lima 2023 Worlds star Kim Jungnam and Jo Jeongdu (pistol shooters) will also be hoping to finish among medals in Paris.
Among others, veteran star and two-time Paralympic champion Abdullah Sultan Alaryani will be once again carrying the medal hopes of UAE at Paris so does Sareh Javanmardi, who will lead Iran’s challenge in Shooting Para Sport. Javanmardi, the reigning Paralympic champion in P2 – 10m air pistol SH1, will be in focus following her silver medal show at Hangzhou 2022 after becoming a mother. Shooting Para Sport, a sport which test the accuracy, concentration and control, first appeared in the Summer Paralympics at the 1976 Toronto Games.
