Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday met with the medal winner shooters of the recently concluded International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup.
"I'm extremely delighted to receive our shooting team as they come back from the World Cup. The amount of medals they brought for the country is commendable. I congratulate the entire members of the Indian shooting team," Rijiju told reporters.
India have finished as the leading nation in the ISSF Shooting Senior World Cup with 16 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals.
Sports Minister said that this time India will send the highest contingent for shooting in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
"We are going to send the highest numbers of athletes in terms of participation in shooting for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. We have already qualified for nine berths and there are possibilities for more. There are 12 categories in which we will be competing for Olympics and one of the highest prospects also remain in shooting," Rijiju said.
"I congratulate the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the athletes, and coaches for this outstanding performance. Now we are the best in the world, the only thing I'm looking forward is that this talent we have in shooting must reflect in the Olympics," he added.
Rijiju said he is hopeful of India winning more medals in the Olympics than before as the players are preparing hard for the events.
"I'm very hopeful that the dedication, determination, and the hard work they are doing will bring medals for us in the Olympics and other international events. From the Ministry side, we will be taking care of all the needs of our players," Rijiju said.