After upcoming trials, camp for Olympic core group shooters

Soon after the upcoming selection trials 1 & 2, Olympic core group shooters will have a camp at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi from January 20 to February 7.
Image of Indian shooters used for representational purpose only (File Photo | D Sampathkumar, EPS)
Image of Indian shooters used for representational purpose only (File Photo | D Sampathkumar, EPS)

CHENNAI: Soon after the upcoming selection trials 1 & 2, Olympic core group shooters will have a camp at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi from January 20 to February 7. “All shooters/coaches are required to attend the camp,” read a letter (dated December 31) sent to shooters/coaches by National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body of shooting in India. “Shooters and coaches are required to confirm their joining of the camp before 1 pm on January  11, 2021,” the letter added.

The accommodation will be arranged by the NRAI on a single occupancy basis at a hotel near the range. After reporting to the hotel on January 20, the shooters/coaches will be under quarantine until January 26. However, local shooters have the option of self-isolating at home and can report on January 26.

Like the previous camps, it will be mandatory for all the shooters/coaches to undergo Covid-19 tests and the same will be arranged by the NRAI and conducted at the hotel. “All the shooters must follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) laid down by the Sports Authority of India,” the letter noted. Masks will be mandatory at all times unless while in action at the range. No one will be allowed to stay outside the hotel during the camp.

Set for trials
But before the camp, the focus will shift on the national trials (rifle/pistol/shotgun) that are due to begin from January 5. After a break, some of the top shooters are already in the national capital, trying to polish what they have learnt in the last few months or so with the trials in mind.

As competitions are rare as hen’s teeth, the trials will be vital for shooters and the likes of Deepali Deshpande, rifle high performance coach, who’ll be present during the event. “They have to get back to a busy routine. You need to get back into that (competitive) mindset, try and get that alertness,” Deshpande told this daily.

“We last had trials in January (2020), some of them shot during the Olympic selection trials in February. So it has been a long time. Everyone, irrespective of what they are going to gain from it, is looking forward to it.” The trials for shotgun shooters will commence on January 5 and continue till 16. The pistol/rifle trials will begin a day later and will go on until January 18. The third and fourth trials, to determine teams for Delhi and Korea World Cups, is likely to be held in February. Delhi and Korea events are scheduled in March and April respectively.

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