The 28-year-old Akhil Sheoran secured India’s second quota in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (R3P) event for the Paris 2024 Olympics after winning a bronze medal in the ISSF World Championship 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Last Sunday (20 August), during the final of the men’s 50m R3P event, the Indian participant Akhil Sheoran only managed the sixth position out of eight participants in the kneeling series with a score of 150.3 (50.3, 50.2 and 49.8).
However, in the prone and standing series, the Indian shooter managed a solid comeback with a final score of 450.0, which was enough for him to win a bronze medal and secure India’s fifth spot in shooting for the next Summer Olympics.
Austria and the Czech Republic won the gold and silver medals, respectively, as Alexander Schmirl (462.6) finished as the winner over the second-placed Petr Nymbursky (459.2).
Earlier in the Qualification round, Sheoran managed the sixth spot with 585 points.
Akhil Sheoran also celebrated with the gold medal on the same day
Also, Sheoran was a part of the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (R3P) team that won a gold medal on the same day. Aishwary Pratap Singh and Niraj Kumar were the other members of that Indian team that scored a total of 1750-78x to win the crown.
Paris 2024 Olympics: India’s position in shooting
After Swapnil Kusale, Sheoran became the second Indian to confirm a national quota in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (R3P) event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Moreover, Bhowneesh Mendiratta (men’s trap), Rudrankksh Patil (men’s 10m air rifle) and Mehuli Ghosh (women’s 10m air rifle) also booked India’s quotas in their respective events for the next Summer Olympics.
However, none of these five shooters has secured their spots for the Paris 2024 Olympics. In shooting events for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the quotas are allocated to the respective National Olympic Committee (NOC). The NOC has the full authority to take the final decision to fulfil the quotas for the Olympics.
Who is Akhil Sheoran?
In the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (R3P) world ranking, Akhil Sheoran is currently in the sixth position (updated till 20 August 2023).
In the men’s 50m R3P event, Sheoran won a gold medal in the ISSF World Cup 2018 at Guadalajara (Mexico). He was also a part of the two-member mixed 50m rifle 3 positions team in the ISSF World Cup 2022 at Cairo (Egypt) that won a bronze medal.
In the Asian Airgun Championships 2016, Sheoran was a part of the three-member silver medalist Indian team in the 10m air rifle team event.
