Tokyo: For the first time ever, the number of women competing in individual shooting events at the upcoming Olympic Games will outnumber the total number of males competing.
Due to double starters, the number of total entries in single women's events now exceeds the number of expected competitors in single men's events for the first time, with 239 and 208, respectively.
Overall, India's 15-member Olympic-bound shooting team is one of 356 competitors from over 100 countries fighting for gold in Tokyo, with the women's 10m air rifle and 10m air pistol events attracting the most attention.
"356 athletes representing 100 NOC (National Olympic Committee) from five continents are entered to take part in the shooting sport competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) said in a statement.
The Olympics will be conducted in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8, with the shooting categories beginning the day after the opening ceremony and lasting for the first ten days of the event.
The 10m air pistol women's and 10m air rifle women's events are predicted to have the most participants, with 53 and 49, respectively.
The 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 places will have the most participants in the men's events, with 47 and 39 respectively.
Seven ladies and eight men make up the Indian shooter team.
On May 11, India's shooting team, which included some of the country's most promising medal aspirations at the Tokyo Olympics, flew to Zagreb on a charter flight for their final preparations for the Games.
Considering the struggles the country was undergoing due to the second wave of coronavirus, it was decided to relocate the Indian shooters to Zagreb for their safety.
The Indian shooters competed at the European Championships in Osijek from May 29 to June 6, followed by the final World Cup before the Olympics, which was held at the same venue from June 22 to July 3.