There will be much interest in India's 33-member shooting contingent at the 2023 Asian Games, given India's history at the competition and the new-look squad hoping to rejuvenate the sport after the Tokyo Olympics blip two years ago.
India won a total of 9 medals (2 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) in 2018 - making shooting the second most successful sport after athletics. In 2023, Indians are competing in 27 disciplines with competitions scheduled between September 24 and October 1.
For more details on India's squad and chances, here's ESPN's preview. Meanwhile, here is all you need to know about the format and rules of all events that Indians will be competing in.
Note: Team competitions return in this Asian Games. This could boost India's medal chances as podium places are calculated based on the total qualification scores of all 3 shooters from a country.
Rifle
10m Air Rifle men/women
Dates: September 24 (women), September 25 (men)
Indians in action: Rudrankksh Patil, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Divyansh Singh Panwar, Ashi Chouksey, Mehuli Ghosh, Ramita
Athletes shoot at the target, which is 10m (33 feet) away, in a standing position using an air rifle. In the qualification round, an athlete has to shoot 60 shots in 75 minutes. The maximum score per shot is 10.9.
The top eight athletes then qualify for the final round comprising up to 24 shots - beginning with two series of five shots each in 250 seconds, followed by 14 single shots, each of which has to be taken within 50 seconds. This is followed by an elimination of the bottom two shooters post the 12th shot, after which athletes are eliminated at the end of every two shots.
10m Air Rifle mixed team
Dates: September 26
Indians in action: Divyansh Singh Panwar, Ramita, Mehuli Ghosh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar
In Qualification, each team member fires 30 match shots (60 total shots with a time limit of 30 minutes. Each athlete fires independently of their partner and the final score is the combined total of both shooters.
Based on the total, the top two pairs go into the gold medal match whereas the third and fourth play the bronze medal match. The gold and bronze medal matches are a straight shoot-off between both pairs. The final is scored with decimal scoring. The team with the highest combined score in each round wins 2 points. In case of equal scores each team receives 1 point. The first team to reach sixteen (16) points or more wins the match. In case both teams are tied on 16, the final continues with one additional shot each till a winner is decided.
50m Rifle 3 Positions men/women
Dates: September 27 (women), September 29 (men)
Indians in action: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale, Akhil Sheoran, Sift Kaur Samra, Manini Kaushik, Ashi Chouksey
Athletes shoot over a distance of 50m (164 feet) in kneeling, prone and standing positions. In the qualification round, the athletes fire 40 kneeling, 40 prone and 40 standing shots within two hours and 45 minutes.
The top eight athletes advance to the final round comprising 45 shots -- three series of five shots in the kneeling position in 200 seconds, three series of five shots in the prone position in 150 seconds, and two series of five shots in the standing position within 250 seconds. The bottom two athletes are then eliminated, post which the final five single shots are fired in 50 seconds. The eliminations continue after every shot until the medallists are decided.
Pistol
10m Air Pistol men/women
Dates: September 28 (men), September 29 (women)
Indians in action: Arjun Singh Cheema, Shiva Narwal, Sarabjot Singh, Divya TS, Palak, Esha Singh
Participants shoot at the target over a distance of 10m (33 feet) in a standing position. In qualification, an athlete must shoot 60 shots in 75 minutes -- the maximum score per shot being 10, with full ring scoring instead of decimals.
The top eight athletes then qualify for the final round comprising up to 24 shots - beginning with two series of five shots in 250 seconds, followed by 14 single shots within 50 seconds. This is followed by an elimination of the bottom two after the 12th shot, post which the athlete with the lowest total is eliminated at the end of every two shots.
10m Air Pistol mixed team
Dates: September 29, 30 (qualification and medal matches)
Indians in action: Sarabjot Singh, Divya TS, Esha Singh, Shiva Narwal
In Qualification, each team member fires 30 match shots (60 total shots with a time limit of 30 minutes. Each athlete fires independently of their partner and the final score is the combined total of both shooters. Based on the total, the top two pairs go into the gold medal match whereas the third and fourth play the bronze medal match. The gold and bronze medal matches are a straight shoot-off between both pairs. The final is scored with decimal scoring for pistol as well.
The team with the highest combined score in each round wins 2 points. In case of equal scores each team receives 1 point. The first team to reach sixteen (16) points or more wins the match. In case both teams are tied on 16, the final continues with one additional shot each till a winner is decided.
25m Pistol women
Dates: September 26, 27 (qualification stage 1, stage 2 and final)
Indians in action: Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan, Esha Singh
This is a women's-only event. Participants shoot over a distance of 25m (82 feet) in a standing position and the event is spread over two qualification stages - precision and rapid - over two days. During the qualification round, one has to fire 60 shots: two identical stages of 30 shots, divided in six series of five shots each. The top eight athletes qualify for the final round consisting of 10 five-shot series.
The scoring system changes from a points-based system to a hit-or-miss system in the final. A shot of 10.2 or higher counts as a hit. The final starts with four five-shot series after which the shooter with the lowest total is eliminated. Similarly, the shooter with the lowest total at the end of each subsequent series gets eliminated.
25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men
Dates: September 24, 25 (qualification stage 1, stage 2 and final)
Indians in action: Anish, Vijayveer Sidhu, Adarsh Singh
This is a men's-only event. Participants shoot over a distance of 25m (82 feet) in a standing position and the event is spread over two qualification stages and two days. The qualification round features two rounds of 30 shots each. The difference in this event is that there are a series of five linear targets with five shots fired at one target each within a limited time - 8 seconds, 6 seconds, and 4 seconds. One stage has two series of each type.
In this discipline, only the top 6 qualify for the final. The final consists of eight (8) 5-shot, 4-second series with hit-or-miss scoring. The elimination of the lowest scoring finalists begins after the fourth series and continues until the eighth series when the gold and silver medals are decided.
Shotgun
Trap men / women
Dates: September 30, October 1 (qualification stage 1, stage 2 and final)
Indians in action: Kynan Chenai, Prithviraj Toindaman, Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Rajeshwari Kumari, Manisha Keer, Preeti Rajak
Participants shoot at flying clay targets about 10cm in diameter released from machines in different parts of the range from five different positions. The qualification round involves 125 shots, divided in five rounds of 25 targets each (2 left, 2 right and 1 centre from each of the five stations) The shooter has 10 seconds to call for his target and when released, they can take 2 shots at each target except in finals.
The top six athletes progress to the final, where elimination begins after 5 rounds of 5 shots each. In case the top two athletes are tied at the end of 50 shots, the winner is determined by a shoot-off. If there is a tie for the third place, the shooter with the higher finish in the qualification round is adjudged the winner.
Skeet men / women
Dates: September 26, 27 (qualification stage 1, stage 2 and final)
Indians in action: Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Gurjoat Singh Khangura, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon, Darshna Rathore
Participants shoot at orange clay targets ejected - from eight different stations - from two trap houses located at the left and right end of the range, one high, one low. The qualification round involves 125 targets, divided in five rounds of 25 targets each.
The top six athletes progress to the final, which comprises 60 shots. At the end of 20 shots, the athlete with the lowest score is eliminated. The athletes with the lowest total at the end of each series of ten shots after that is eliminated. In case the top two athletes are tied at the end of 60 shots, the winner is determined by a shoot-off. If there is a tie for the third place, the shooter with the higher finish in the qualification round is adjudged the winner.
Skeet Mixed Team
Dates: September 28
Indians in action: Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon, Gurjoat Singh Khangura
Each player in the team shoot three rounds of 25 targets on 3 stations for a total of 75 targets per athlete (150 targets per team). The teams are ranked according to the total combined scores of both members. The top two pairs go into the gold medal match whereas the third and fourth play the bronze medal match. A tie is decided by shoot-off.