A power team of five incredible Para athletes and Paralympians are in New Delhi this week for the Shooting Para Sport India World Cup. All will be looking to prove their credentials and earn slots for New Zealand at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in August.
The Shooting Para sport athletes comprise:
- Paralympian #148 Michael Johnson (SH2)
- Paralympian #204 Greg Reid (SH1)
- Para athlete Natalie Brunzel (SH2)
- Para athlete Neelam O’Neill (SH1)
- Para athlete Kiranjit Singh (SH2)
Click on an athlete’s name to find out more about them and to send a message of support.
The team is ably supported by manager Sonja Benčina, loaders Rachael Ward and Heidi Parkin, and coaches Janelle McGirr, Jodie Loveday and Beant Kaur. The youngest member of the the team is Kiran and Beant’s baby Kirat, making the occasion a memorable one for the Kaurs!
This competition kicks off 2024’s Shooting Para sport season. Crucially, it’s the final open direct quota allocation event for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. A total of 20 quota places are up for grabs.
This will be India’s first World Shooting Para Sport event. India has one of the most successful shooting Para sport programmes in the world and picked five medals, including two gold at the last Paralympics in Tokyo.
How can you follow the action and cheer on the Kiwis?
Watch the live stream on Facebook.
What’s the Shooting Para Sport India World Cup schedule?
Find the full schedule on paralympic.org. We share the events for the New Zealanders below. All times are local to New Delhi, which is 7.5 hours behind New Zealand Standard Time.
Friday, 8 March
5.00pm Opening ceremony
Saturday, 9 March
12.00-1.45 R4 Rly 1 Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
2.15-4.00 R4 Rly 1 Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
5.00-6.00 R4 final Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
6.15 Victory ceremony Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
Sunday, 10 March
9.50-10.30 R 11 Natalie & Kiranjit
12.45-1.45 R 11 final Natalie & Kiranjit
2.00-3.00 R3 PET Rly 1 Neelam & Greg
3.15-4.15 R3 PET Rly 2 Neelam & Greg
4.30 Victory ceremony Natalie & Kiranjit
Monday, 11 March
9.00-10.15 R3 Rly 1 Neelam & Greg
10.45-12.00 R3 Rly 2 Neelam & Greg
12.00-1.00 R 9 PET Mike
1.45-2.45 R3 finals Neelam & Greg
4.30 Victory ceremony Neelam & Greg
Tuesday, 12 March
9.30–11.00 R9 – Mike
10.30–11.30 P2 PET – Neelam
12.00–1.00 R9 Finals – Mike
1.15 Victory Ceremony – Mike
Wednesday, 13 March
11.30–12.15 R5 Rly1 PET – Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
12.45–1.30 R5 Rly2 PET – Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
2.00 –3.45 P2 – Neelam
4.30–5.15 R6 PET – Greg
4.45–5.45 P2 Finals – Neelam
6.00 Victory Ceremony – Neelam
Thursday, 14 March
9.00–10.20 R6 – Greg
10.45–11.45 R6 Finals – Greg
11.00–12.00 R5 Rly1– Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
12.00 Victory Ceremony– Greg
1.15–2.15 R5 PET – Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
3.45–4.45 R5 Finals – Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
5.00 Victory Ceremony – Kiranjit, Natalie, Mike
What do the classifications mean in Shooting Para sport?
Shooting Para sport is the sport of shooting for Para athletes who have a physical impairment
leading to reduced function in the lower and/or upper limbs.
Classification provides the structure for fair and equitable competition to ensure that winning is determined by skill, fitness, power, endurance, tactical ability and mental focus. Classification groups Para athletes into a sport class according to the degree of activity limitation resulting from their impairment. In Shooting Para sport, there are three different sport classes:
SPORT CLASS SH1 (PISTOL)
Para athletes with upper and/or lower limb impairment competing in pistol events are in the SH1 class.
SPORT CLASS SH1 (RIFLE)
This sport class is designated to Para athletes with lower limb impairment for competition in rifle events.
SPORT CLASS SH2 (RIFLE)
This sport class is for rifle events only, and is designated to Para athletes with upper limb impairment (which necessitates them to use a shooting stand to support the rifle), all or not in combination with lower limb impairment.
