CHENNAI: With a view to win more international medals and bag national and international rifle shooting events for Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday allocated Rs 40 crore for setting up more shooting lanes in the firing ranges of the TN Police Academy in Unamancherry. With no Tamil Nadu contribution in the 17 shooting medals India won in the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, the Chief Minister convened a meeting at the Secretariat on August 28 to chalk out measures to promote the sport in the State.
After extensive discussions with senior ministers and officials, she announced that 240 more shooting lanes would be set up at the Tamil Nadu Police Academy ranges. While the 10-metre shooting range would have 90 shooting lanes, the 25-metre range will get 60 lanes. Similarly, the 50-metre shooting range would have 90 lanes. For the final events, 10 shooting lanes would be established in 10-metre, 25-metre and 50-metre ranges. Besides, buildings would be constructed for these facilities at a cost of Rs 18 crore.
Apart from these, an electronic scoreboard and equipment for modern rifle shooting would be procured at a cost of Rs 16 crore. Jayalalithaa also announced that shooting ranges with 15 lanes each would be established at the Sports Authority complexes in Madurai and Coimbatore. Welcoming the assistance, TN Shooting Association secretary R Ravi Krishnan said it would help unearth new talent. “It is a wonderful gesture from the CM. She was clear that TN should have state-of-the-art facilities,” he said.