A six-member Indian skeet shooting squad has arrived in Lonato, Italy, to participate in the fourth and final International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Shotgun stage of the season. The competition is being held at Trap Concaverde, a well-known venue in the world of shooting sports.

The Indian team is a mix of experienced and accomplished shooters. The men's team includes Olympians Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, and Anantjeet Singh Naruka. The women's team also features two Olympians, Maheshwari Chauhan and Raiza Dhillon, along with Ganemat Sekhon.

The skeet team has already started acclimatizing to the conditions in Lonato. They have begun unofficial training under the guidance of their coach, Vikram Chopra. Official pre-event training is scheduled for Saturday. Chopra seems pleased with the team's progress, noting that the squad has settled in well and is training with enthusiasm. He also highlighted the importance of team bonding, mentioning a birthday celebration for Anantjeet Singh Naruka.

The qualifying rounds for both men's and women's skeet competitions will commence on Sunday, July 6, with the finals scheduled for Tuesday, July 8.

In addition to the skeet team, a six-member trap team is expected to arrive in Lonato on July 5. The trap team will be led by Lakshay Sheoran, a former Asian Games silver medalist. He will be accompanied by veteran Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Jaswinder Singh in the men's trap category. The women's trap team will consist of Neeru Dhanda, Preeti Rajak, and Pragati Dubey. In the mixed team trap event, Lakshay Sheoran will team up with Neeru Dhanda, while Zoravar Singh Sandhu will partner with Preeti Rajak.

Lonato is a popular destination for shotgun shooters, and this year's World Cup has attracted a large number of participants. A total of 551 athletes from 73 nations are competing in the event. This World Cup is the final ISSF World Cup of the season for shotgun shooters, before the season-ending Finals in Doha in December. There is another World Cup scheduled in Ningbo this September, but it is only for rifle and pistol shooters.

The Indian shooters are aiming to perform well in Lonato as this event is a crucial step in their preparation for the World Championships in Athens. India's only medal in shotgun events at this year's ISSF World Cups was won in the mixed trap by Kynan Chenai and Sabeera Haris in Nicosia. The Indian shotgunners are hoping to improve their performance after drawing blanks at the Buenos Aires and Lima legs.