New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS): Bhopal will host an International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol stage, between March 20-31, 2023, as per the updated calendar of the global governing body of the Olympic sport of Shooting.

The calendar was published after the conclusion of the executive committee meeting, which took place recently in Larnaca, Cyprus and was attended by the president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Raninder Singh.

It will be almost two years to the date that an ISSF World Cup stage will be held in India and for the first time in the city of Bhopal. The M.P. Academy Shooting range will play host to the global event, where ranking points for qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympics, can also be collected.

Commenting on the development, Singh said, "It is extremely satisfying for us to be able to add yet another city in India to the world Shooting map. It is due to the untiring efforts of the Government of Madhya Pradesh and in particular Minister of Sports, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, that this was made possible. It has always been the endeavour of NRAI to spread the sport to different parts of the country and such events help to do that immensely. It also helps our own shooters to get a leg up in their personal sporting ambitions and we hope that they take full advantage of this as they target the Paris Olympics."

The Indian Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun squads are currently preparing for the World Championships coming up later this month in Osijek (Shotgun), Croatia and next month in Cairo (Rifle/Pistol), Egypt, which will present them with the first opportunity to win quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympics.