Thanks to the 2002 National Games there, Hyderabad can boast of a world-class shooting range — the only one of its kind in south India. And thanks to the 2003 Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad, a shooting star was born in the form of Gagan Narang — the most prominent marksman to be based in the southern part of the country. This is the story of shooting in south India, where lack of facilities is the biggest stumbling block.
Inadequate infrastructure
Shooting, an expensive sport, depends heavily on government support. “Without government help, it is difficult for any association to build infrastructure. Let’s accept that reality,” says Ravi Krishnan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Rifle Association.
“Hyderabad benefitted from hosting the National Games in 2002. It is the only city in all of south India to have a good shooting range.”
Though Chennai has a decent shooting range, it is not in the same class as the one in Hyderabad. “We need a major event to be held in Chennai for high-quality shooting infrastructure to come up in the city,’’ says Krishnan.
Incidentally, Hyderabad is one of just three cities in the country to have a shooting range of international standard; the other cities similarly equipped are located in Pune and Delhi.
“But though the Hyderabad range is one of the best in the country, there are no suitable accommodation facilities near the venue. “This has come in the way of the city hosting national training camps,’’ says chief national coach Sunny Thomas, who is also the secretary of the Kerala Rifle Association. Kerala conducted the 52nd national championships in rifle/pistol shooting at Thodupuzha in January this year.
Other stumbling blocks
Equipment and ammunition being expensive, shooting — especially in the shotgun section (trap and double-trap) — is not a sport that the common man can afford to pursue without support. Moreover, state associations are very selective while extending membership to shooters because of security concerns. “This mostly applies to the shotgun category,’’ informs Krishnan.
Apart from Narang, the other shooters of note from southern India include Asher Noria (double trap) and Kynan Chenai (trap), Andhra Pradesh shooters both who have shown promise and possess the talent to reach the top. Also meriting mention are Tamil Nadu’s Prithviraj (trap) and Asiya Khiliji, both of whom were in the Indian junior World Cup squad.
Positive signs
In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of shooters participating in state-level events in the south.
“This is because of the success of Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Gagan Narang has created awareness about shooting,” says Amit Sanghi, secretary of the Rifle Association of Andhra Pradesh. “We have a fair number of shooters at state events and there are many talented youngsters out there. But for the sport to grow further, we need more support from all quarters. On our part, we are trying to take shooting to schools and colleges.”
Tamil Nadu, where 400-plus shooters currently compete at the state-level, has a similar story. “We have 370 shooters in rifle and pistol events and 60 for trap and skeet events. This marks a significant increase in participation,” says Krishnan. Nonetheless, much more needs to be done.
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