A corporate-backed initiative to build India’s next generation of Paralympic shooting champions is now fully operational, with funds deployed and training underway across the country.

The Wheeling Happiness Foundation (WHF), led by India’s first woman Paralympic medalist Dr. Deepa Malik, has launched the “Shaping Future Paralympic Shooting Champions” program under a CSR partnership with Asset Care and Reconstruction Enterprise (ACRE). The alliance, signed earlier this year, represents one of the most structured private-sector commitments to para-shooting development in the country.

“We are not just building champions; we are building a more inclusive India,” said Dr. Malik, a Padma Shri awardee. “This collaboration is proving to be a game-changer for countless aspiring para-shooters.”

The program targets the identification and training of more than 300 new para-shooters nationwide. It also seeks to certify 30 national coaches and 15 classifiers and referees to World Shooting Para Sports (WSPS) standards — a technical gap that has long constrained India’s competitive depth in the discipline.

Equipment procurement is a central plank of the effort, with adaptive wheelchairs, specialized shooting tables, and accessible training infrastructure to be provided to participants. At least 30 percent of all supported athletes will be women, a target WHF says is non-negotiable.

The Para Shooting Association of India (PSAI), the national governing body, is the technical implementing partner. PSAI Chairperson and Dronacharya Awardee J.P. Nautiyal is overseeing execution alongside WHF.

Mohd Shariq Malik of the ACRE CSR Committee said the program aligned with the company’s core social mandate. “We are incredibly proud to support these inspiring athletes and believe in their potential to bring glory to our nation,” he said.

The Rotary Club of Delhi South, under District 3011 of Rotary International, has also facilitated the partnership. Kriti Makhija of the club was acknowledged by WHF for her coordination role.

India has emerged as a dominant force in para shooting internationally. At the 2025 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Changwon, India topped the medal table with 15 gold, 13 silver, and four bronze medals — ahead of South Korea and Iran. The WHF-ACRE initiative is aimed at broadening the talent pipeline that feeds that competitive success.

Dr. Malik said the program embodied the foundation’s motto — “Ability Beyond Disability” — and was designed to be sustainable rather than episodic.

“With ACRE’s support, we are strengthening our Paralympic legacy and fostering national pride on the global stage,” she said.