CHENNAI: At long last, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) — the governing body for shooting in the country — has earmarked a date to resume the national camp after the coronavirus-enforced break. After its executive council meeting on Tuesday, the NRAI is targeting August 1 to resume training at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.
According to an NRAI official, only the 34-member Olympic core group, which was announced recently, will be permitted for the said camp. But for that to materialise, the federation will have to first get an approval from SAI, which has been conducting camps on behalf of various federations that are at present not recognised by the government. “We are hopeful to start from August 1. We will be sending the proposal to SAI soon,” the official said.
SAI had recently made the aforementioned range operational for elite shooters. Skeet shooters like veteran Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Sheeraz Sheikh had used the opportunity to shoot clay targets at the venue.The official said that they’ll follow the standard operating procedure as stated by SAI. But the official said that the federation is still working on the details in regards to safety of all the shooters and coaches. It’s unclear if the government-advised quarantine measures will be followed. If NRAI gets the go ahead from SAI, it will be a big boost for the talented bunch of shooters who have mostly been confined to their respective homes.