Pune, April 15 (NationPress) – The city of Pune is set to welcome the very first Shooting League of Maharashtra (SLM), taking place from April 17 to 19 at the Chhatraguj Nurses School located in Amanora Park. This event is being orchestrated by the Maharashtra Rifle Association (MRA) and marks a significant milestone in the systematic implementation of the Shooting League of India (SLI) framework at the state level.

Following the recent success of the Shooting League in Karnataka, the Maharashtra edition signifies the subsequent stage in a well-planned, nationwide initiative aimed at establishing a competitive league structure for this sport.

For the first time in Maharashtra, the SLM will introduce a team-oriented format, featuring 18 district teams that will compete in both 10m rifle and pistol events. A total of 144 athletes will represent their respective districts, fostering a sense of regional pride within a league that adheres to the competitive philosophy of SLI.

The league will adopt a more compact and dynamic match format, in accordance with the SLI model, designed to enhance spectator involvement and streamline the sport while maintaining high-performance standards.

The inaugural edition will showcase some of India’s premier shooting talents. Olympians and esteemed coaches such as Rahi Sarnobat, Anjali Bhagwat, Suma Shirur, Deepali Deshpande, Tejaswini Sawant, Rudranksh Patil, and Coach Ronak Pandit will act as mentors, sharing their valuable expertise to nurture the athletes participating in the league.

In a reflection of the sport's meritocratic nature, the SLM will embrace an inclusive format, allowing for mixed teams and promoting equal competition opportunities without gender restrictions.

By incorporating input from various districts throughout Maharashtra, the league seeks to fortify the sport's competitive base and create a more engaging platform that connects athletes with their fans, furthering the overarching mission of the Shooting League of India.

Building on the momentum of previous state initiatives, the MRA is poised to make significant strides with the Shooting League of Maharashtra. Its goal is to realize the SLI vision by creating a unified system that integrates grassroots participation, fan engagement, and elite competition into a singular cohesive ecosystem.

Teams & Shooters – Shooting League of Maharashtra 2026

Sobo Giants (Mumbai City)

Rifle: Bhakti Khamkar, Aditi Singh, Shriya Gole, Sara Wadke

Pistol: Jaj Mandal, Het Patel, Prajna Kesarkar, Gazhla Naushad

Western Rangers (Mumbai Suburban)

Rifle: Nimesh Jadhav, Anshika Singh, Kaustubh Patil, Darshan Lohima

Pistol: Yash Jawalkar, Geeta Mhaske, Anagh Ghosh, Niara Kedar

Rokhthok Thane (Thane)

Rifle: Arikta Singh, Swati Baudh, Dhruv Kinalekar, Dhairyashil Patil

Pistol: Pravin Mishra, Siddhesh Thorat, Toshali Bhuta, Veyanka Daga

Aamhi Punekar (Pune)

Rifle: Medhavi Kudale, Sakshi Padeka, Simra Khan, Suhas Kumbhar

Pistol: Prathmesh Kadam, Rajlaxmi Gore, Chetan Sapkal, Tejas Waghere

Rajdhani Satara (Satara)

Rifle: Asawari Melavane, Viraj Patil, Anushka Mangrule, Ritul Kundle

Pistol: Shubham Kshirsagar, Janhavi Deshmukh, Sheetal Desai, Aditi Jadhav

Kolhapur Bisons (Kolhapur)

Rifle: Samiksha Patil, Sumedh Sasane, Atharva Patil, Dnyaneshwari Patil

Pistol: Anurag Chougale, Pranjali Dhumal, Tejas Dhere, Abhidnya Patil

Raigad Warriors (Raigad)

Rifle: Parth Mane, Isha Taksale, Rahul Sharma, Divya Dhumal

Pistol: Santosh Sawant, Janvi Manatkar, Sameedha Chavan, Priyanka Susvirkar

Sangli Alpha Lions (Sangli)

Rifle: Aditi Hadagal, Pratik Jong, Swara Magdum, Alphia Attar

Pistol: Pranav Patil, Naeem Nardekar, Vaishnavi Raje, Viren Girigosavi

Nashik Nem-Baz (Nashik)

Rifle: Amruta Patil, Radhesh Pardeshi, Soha Inamdar, Komal Sahane

Pistol: Suraj Datir, Radhika Mahale, Shraddha Jagtap, Sairaj Kankate

Golden Finger (Palghar)

Rifle: Mayuri Pawar, Aditri Bhatt, Gayatri Pedde, Arnav Parab

Pistol: Vijay Satote, Shreem Pasad, Raajwardhan Patil, Nirbhai Girse

Solapuri Bramhasra (Solapur)

Rifle: Shraddha Divate, Kiran Rajmane, Payal Nandugade, Jagruti Chakote

Pistol: Vaishnavi Tingare, Prathamesh Bansode, Yashraj Gujare, Vaishnavi Khatavkar

Ahilyanagar Lakshveer (Ahilyanagar)

Rifle: Abhishek Kamthe, Anvita Jadhav, Saumya Khedkar, Sneha Jangale

Pistol: Rohit Wagh, Swamini Jejurkar, Rohit Wagh, Raunak Tokshiya

(Aurangabad Team – TBC)

Rifle: Rohan Jadhav, Parth Kulkarni, Dhanvi Sawaiwala, Radhika Sonwane

Pistol: Krushnali Rajput, Shraddha Tale, Omkar Chavan, Harshvardhan Sirsath

Amravati Dhurandhar (Amravati)

Rifle: Ansh Kature, Shravani Shrirav, Savi Gulhane, Yash Veni

Pistol: Tiya Loya, Harsh Bakal, Alvin Manu, Tanishka Deshmukh

Wardha Warriors (Wardha)

Rifle: Shawari Pakhale, Gauri Mane, Aishwarya Powar, Vinit Ghugal

Pistol: Urja Kalekar, Shantanu Bhosale, Kasturi Gore, Atharva Pawade

Chandrapur Diamonds (Chandrapur)

Rifle: Prerana Morey, Avantika Shelke, Vedanti Bhatt, Krishna Shelke

Pistol: Tosif Sayyed, Juily Dhapodkar, Gaurav Zende, Mahesh Ghadge

Nagpur Tigers (Nagpur)

Rifle: Samiksha Narsingkar, Kaiwalya Lande, Dharini Borade, Heemanshu Gabhane

Pistol: Abhay Dhamale, Prerna Yadav, Parmesha Zade, Adnan Ali

Ratnagiri Shiledar (Ratnagiri)

Rifle: Yashika Shinde, Harsh Bagave, Nirzara Patil, Lakshya Indurkar

Pistol: Swayam Desai, Rakesh Kadam, Sairaj Kate, Riya Kadam