Legendary Indian shooter and coach, Jaspal Rana, has expressed serious concerns over the delay in naming the Indian shooting contingent for the Paris Olympics. He believes that this delay will leave the selected shooters with little time for the final phase of preparations.
In shooting, athletes win quota places for the country, and the federation decides the contingent based on their performance in trials, national, and international competitions. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has completed the trials in shotgun events but is yet to announce the squad. They are hoping that a few more shooters might secure Paris quotas in the Final Olympic Qualification Championship.
Jaspal Rana criticizes NRAI’s approach
Rana criticized the NRAI for not announcing the squad in shotgun events, despite the trials being completed. He believes that this delay puts pressure on shooters who have won quota places, while those who have not have less pressure. He also flayed the ongoing trials at the Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in Delhi, saying he had never seen a competition where only five shooters per event were short-listed.
“We are not in the same category of training and preparation as other people are getting around the world. They (strong countries in shooting sport) have already selected their teams and started their training and we are behind schedule,” said Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee shooter Rana in harsh comments against the NRAI’s policy.
“Nobody knows so far who is going and who is not going. That puts a lot of pressure on the players who have won quota places, while those who have not won the quota places there is a lot less pressure,” added the four-time Asian Games gold medallist, who is currently the personal coach of Olympian Manu Bhaker.
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The delay in the announcement of the shooting contingent for the Paris Olympics has raised concerns about the final phase of preparations for the selected athletes. Shooters from the US, Italy, and other European powerhouses have announced their squads and their shooters are in the final phases of fine-tuning their skills ahead of the Games that get underway on 26 July. However, India commenced its nearly month-long exercise only recently.
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