CHENNAI: The 2020 shooting calendar was wiped clean recently. With the sport coming to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was unclear when the next event was going to be held. But there’s a first-of-its-kind online competition as early as next week. Some of the rifle and pistol shooters will be taking part from their homes on April 15.
This innovative competition is being organised by indianshooting.com, with former international shooter Shimon Sharif the chief mastermind. Shimon revealed they had sent invites to many international shooters and that he’s expecting around 40 to 50 shooters including Indians like Manu Bhaker, Sanjeev Rajput and Divyansh Singh Panwar. Pistol ace Veronica Major, who’s World No 2 in 25m pistol women, is one of the heavyweights among foreigners. Around 10 foreigners have confirmed their participation now.
All that the shooters require is their equipment, mobile phones and an app called Zoom. After registering on the app, they can either put their phones on a stand where their shooting position is visible or take help from someone to hold the phone. “It’s fully transparent as it will be done through Zoom. The jury will ensure that all of them are following guidelines. They have to show their screen before the start of the match and after the competition is over so that the jury can note down the scores,” Shimon said.
There will be no distinct categories for men and women. The shooters will have a total of 40 shots and they’ll get 50 minutes. But, as this is a friendly competition, there won’t be finals. “Because finals have a different format, where you select the top eight and eliminate people, we won’t be holding it this time.”
Shimon also claimed that there are many who are interested, especially junior shooters. And depending on how this pans out, Shimon is keen to hold online competitions on a regular basis. He also plans to add prize money. “It’s the first time this is happening and we want to see how it goes. We have had many requests from junior shooters too but this time we’ll be holding it only for the elite shooters. A smaller group is easier to manage and monitor,” he said.
The event will be held at 4 pm (IST) and shooters from different time zones will have to adjust accordingly. Shimon said that the scores will be made available on indianshooting.com and also said that they are trying to bring the action live on their webpage on Facebook. “The shooting fraternity is like a family. We are doing this to keep the sport alive.”