CHENNAI: Due to the ongoing coronavirus second wave, sporting activities in the country have again entered area of uncertainty. Many Olympic-bound athletes have been gone back to limited training at their respective home towns with multiple restrictions in place. Shooters are one such bunch.
After making headlines during the ISSF Delhi World Cup, the likes of Manu Bhaker & Co have been mostly confined to their respective places, still unsure what their next step will be in the build-up to Tokyo Olympics. Bearing in mind the pandemic and preparations for the Olympics, this daily understands that the
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body of the sport in the country, is looking to send the shooters to Croatia by mid-May. However, it's still far from certain as they have to get clearances from many quarters in the days to come.
Talks about sending the shooters to Croatia for training-cum-competition has been floating around for some time now. The shooters and coaches had initially hoped to be there by early May so that they can train there for few days and then take part in the 2021 European Shooting Championships.
It is learnt that Raninder Singh, the NRAI chief, has been in constant touch with the officials from the Croatian Shooting Federation and they are willing to let Indians — shooters from all discipline — be part of the competition in MQS section (no medal, no finals). "We are still working on that. We are exploring all possibilities so that the shooters' training does not suffer. We are looking at various options and we'll pick whichever suits us. We have already lost one month or so and we don't want to lose more time," Rajiv Bhatia, NRAI secretary, said when queried about the federation's plans.
It is understood that if Croatia trip fails to materialise, Indian shooters will train at home itself. However, the training is expected to be a bit different than the usual. The shooters could train according to Tokyo timings in order to make them battle-ready for the Olympics.
Another topic that has been debated for some time is vaccination. Manu recently got her first dose of vaccine. More are likely to follow, especially if they get the green signal to go to Europe. "Many have taken the first dose at least. If they go to Croatia, we hope that everyone will get the first dose at least,"
Bhatia said.