NRAI appoints Olympic medalist Munkhbayar Dorjsuren as Indian pistol team’s foreign coach, contingent all set for ISSF World Cup in Korea

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) appointed two-time Olympic medallist shooter Munkhbayar Dorjsuren as the national pistol team's chief foreign coach on Tuesday (July 5).

This decision comes ahead of the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, Korea, which is set to take place from July 9.

Earlier, the NRAI appointed Thomas Farnik as the foreign coach alongside chief coaches Joydeep Karmakar and Suma Shirur in the rifle category.

The Indian shotgun team will be coached by Australia's legendary foreign coach Australian Russel Mark, apart from chief coaches Vikram Chopra and Shreayan Kapoor in the trap and skeet disciplines, respectively.

Speaking about the same, NRAI secretary-general Kanwar Sultan Singh told PTI:

“Mrs. Munkhbayar, apart from being a two-time Olympic medallist, has a wealth of experiences under her belt. We have given her a long-term contract, keeping in mind the next Olympic Games in 2024."

He added:

“She will also be working closely with both Samaresh Jung and Ronak Pandit, who are chief coaches for 10m and 25m pistol events. We were looking for someone who could train the shooters in a way, which will benefit them in the long run. We interviewed her this week and decided to appoint her as she ticks all the right boxes."

Newly appointed chief rifle coach Joydeep Karmakar also hailed the decision to appoint foreign coaches ahead of major shooting events. He said:

“This is a very interesting development and the NRAI’s decision to appoint top-quality foreign coaches speaks volumes on how seriously India is treating shooting before the next Olympic Games in Paris."

He added:

“The NRAI has been following this pattern of having a foreign coach alongside two chief coaches across the three disciplines since 2002. That said, the decision to appoint top-quality foreign coaches and chief coaches this time will surely help the shooters to benefit immensely ahead of the next Olympic Games."

Indian shooting team for 2022 ISSF World Cup

A strong 49-member shooting contingent, including shooters, coaches, and support staff, is all set for the 2022 ISSF World Cup, which is scheduled to take place between July 9 and 21 in Changwon, Korea.

The Indian shooting team has a mix of experienced as well as new shooters representing the nation at the event. The athletes in the contingent include:

Pistol: Manu Bhaker, Anish Bhanwala, Esha Singh

Rifle: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Elavenil Valarivan, Anjum Moudgil, Sanjeev Rajput, Chain Singh. and Mehuli Ghosh

Shotgun Skeet: Mairaj Ahmad Khan

Trap: Vivaan Kapoor, Prithviraj Tondaiman