Elavenil included in Indian shooting team for Tokyo Olympics, Chinki in as reserve

World number one Elavenil Valarivan was on Sunday included in a 15-member Indian shooting contingent for the Tokyo Olympics at the expense of quota winner Chinki Yadav, who had claimed a gold in the Delhi World Cup last month.

To deal with the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) named two reserves in each discipline where its shooters have won quota places for the Games.

The highly accomplished Manu Bhaker will be fielded in both the women's 25m pistol alongside the experienced Rahi Sarnobat and in her pet 10m air pistol event with Yashaswini Singh Deswal.

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The NRAI selection committee assembled here to announce the names of 15 shooters who will represent the country at the Games, scheduled to be held in the Japanese capital from July 23 to August 8.

The shooters were selected based on their performance in the NRAI's four-year Olympic qualifying cycle, starting with the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games which was followed by World Championship (both in 2018), all four World Cups and Asian Championships in 2019 and selection trials stage 1 and 2 earlier this year.

As per the NRAI's stated policy, an average of five best scores in an international competition, starting with the Jakarta Asiad, was taken into account while picking the final team.

It also means that Anjum Moudgil, who was the first Indian shooter along with Apurvi Chandela to earn quota for the Tokyo Games at the 2018 World Championships, will be fielded in women's rifle 3 positions event along with the seasoned Tejaswini Sawant.

Chandela and Elavenil will participate in the women's 10m air rifle event.

Both Chinki and Anjum were kept as reserves in 25m pistol and rifle 3 positions events respectively.

The quota belongs to the country and not the shooter who secures it.