Shooting Champions from Paris Olympics Set to Compete Again

7 days ago | 5 Views

New Delhi: Indian athletes who medalled at the Paris Olympics are set to compete in the Senior National Shooting Championships commencing on Wednesday. Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh will participate in the rifle and pistol events, respectively, while Manu Bhaker, a double medallist and a prominent figure in India's Paris campaign, will exclusively enter the MQS (Minimum Qualification Score) category. The pistol events will take place at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi, whereas the rifle competitions will be held in Bhopal.

Manu has expressed her desire to participate solely in the MQS section, indicating that her scores will not be counted in the official competition. Following her performance in Paris, Manu, along with her coach Jaspal Rana, travelled to Lugano, Switzerland, to refine certain technical aspects of her firearm at the Morini factory. Although she has been training at the Karni Singh range, she prefers to take additional time before re-entering competitive events. All three Olympic medallists, who opted out of the October World Cup, have resumed their training.

The National Championships will precede selection trials and the National Games, which are scheduled to take place in Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has yet to disclose its selection policy, although it is understood that modifications are anticipated.

It has been reported that the NRAI is considering a proposal that would permit certain elite shooters to train with their personal coaches outside the national camp. Prior to the Paris Olympics, the NRAI's policy allowed athletes heading to Paris to collaborate with their coaches within the national framework, which proved beneficial as it enabled shooters to engage in focused training while keeping national coaches informed of their progress.

Most elite shooters are opting for personalized coaching, leading the NRAI to consider exempting certain shooters from the national squad. These individuals may be selected directly for the national team based on their performance in selection trials and domestic competitions. Shooters will be given the option to make this choice at the beginning of the season, with no opportunity to change their decision midway, as per sources familiar with the situation.

Numerous additional factors are being evaluated before the NRAI finalizes this policy.

Another proposal under consideration is to extend support to exceptional talents who have fallen outside the national team framework.

The level of competition at the domestic level has increased annually, and it is often observed that once a talented shooter is no longer in national contention, regaining a position becomes challenging. Such shooters could be integrated into the national camp, where they would receive technical assistance from coaches, in addition to having their training needs addressed.

The NRAI has reported a record 13,522 shooters qualifying for the national championships. The rifle category boasts the highest number of entries, totalling 7,013 across various classifications. The rifle events are scheduled to take place at the MP State Shooting Academy ranges in Bhopal from December 15 to 31. In the pistol category, there are 5,672 entries, with competitions commencing on Wednesday.

A total of 837 shotgun shooters will participate in skeet, trap, and double trap events. Anant Jeet Singh Naruka in the men's skeet category and Ganemat Sekhon in the women's skeet category will be defending their titles.

"The unprecedented participation in the National Championships highlights the increasing popularity of the sport within the nation. Our ongoing success on the international stage, especially the achievements of our shooters at the Paris Olympics, where we secured a record three bronze medals, has played a significant role in this growth," stated NRAI president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo.

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