Anish, Vijayveer vote for retention of 25m rapid fire pistol as ISSF gears up to remove event from Los Angeles 2028 Olympics

Anish, Vijayveer vote for retention of 25m rapid fire pistol as ISSF gears up to remove event from Los Angeles 2028 Olympics

Male 25-meter rapid-fire pistol (RFP) shooters may have to compete in sports pistol—the same event as that of the women—at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The proposal to do away with 25m RFP, the only shooting event that dates back to the birth of the modern Olympic movement in 1896, is currently being discussed at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

To further the process, the ISSF Athletes Committee sent a letter to all its member national federations, including the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), last Tuesday with the link to a survey to be filled by registered shooters.

“The ISSF Athletes Committee is conducting a survey among all the men’s pistol athletes that will be affected by this possible change. It’s really important for us to understand what their choice is. Any men’s pistol athlete that has an ISSF ID issued under your Federation can vote (sic)… The results of the survey will allow the AC the possibility to better represent the choice of the majority of the athletes inside the ISSF… For sure the opinion of the athletes will be taken into consideration, and we need the participation of as many athletes as possible,” the letter read. The deadline for the said survey is on February 6.

It is understood that Anish Bhanwala and Vijayveer Sidhu, the two Indian shooters who participated in the RFP at the Paris Olympics, have already voted for retaining the existing programme.

“I have opted for Rapid Fire because it is a much more dynamic event. That makes it special. We have so many precision events in the Olympics. Plus this is a five-target event which makes it exciting,” Vijayveer said. The 22-year-old has also participated in 10m air pistol events in domestic competitions.

Vijayveer says the first time he had heard about the said change was during the Munich World Cup in June 2024, but then he dismissed it all as rumours.

“A French coach had told me that this was going to happen during the Munich World Cup. I didn’t give it much of a thought then. I took it a bit seriously when they made athletes fill out a request letter during the Olympic Games (Paris 2024) that they wanted the event to stay,” he said.

Anish feels the decision to introduce the new event may have stemmed from the fact that the 25m sports pistol final will have eight athletes, unlike the six in RFP.

“Maybe they feel two more countries participating in the final will be good for the sport. If that is the idea, instead of changing the entire event, they can start an eight-man final,” he said.

The reason for the introduction of a new event is completely lost on Vijayveer. “I never understood the reason. It is senseless. If you want to change, why not change the women’s event to rapid fire?” he questioned.

The final decision will be made by the ISSF Council. Anish has chosen to trust the process, saying, “There is one rapid-fire shooter in the Athletes Committee (Riccardo Mazzetti). I think he will echo our sentiments.”