Shooters caught in crossfire between Army and NRAI

Sabi Hussain

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 23

India’s top pistol and rifle shooters, including Jitu Rai and Vijay Kumar, are caught in a catch-22 situation. The tussle between the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) and the Indian Army could disrupt the training regime of the country’s 14 pistol and rifle shooters employed by the defence force.

As many as 70 elite shooters are participating in the senior national camp in Thiruvananthapuram for the season’s last World Cup in Gabala, Azerbaijan, from August 6 to 16. The tournament is an Olympic qualifier too. But the 14 Army marksmen at the camp are facing a difficult time following an order from their employer to immediately report back for the selection trials for the World Military Games to be held in South Korea from October 2-11.

These shooters include Asian Games gold medallist Jitu Rai, London Olympics silver medallist Vijay, 2010 Delhi CWG gold medallists Gurpreet Singh and Omkar Singh among others. The Army wants to hold selection trials for the Military Games on July 2, while the national camp will conclude on July 6. The Army officials have written to the NRAI to relieve these shooters from the national camp.

The NRAI has, however, refused to do so. It has made it clear to the Army that it won’t allow the shooters to leave the camp mid-way, especially when it has already paid for their stay in a five-star hotel. 

India’s star shooters were in the town for the selection trials for the World Cup in Azerbaijan. After the trials, the selected shooters were asked by the NRAI to report for a two-week long national camp. This caught the Army officials unaware as they were expecting their shooters back in Delhi for the Military Games selection trials.

“The Army told us about their selection trials at the last minute. The NRAI’s schedule was clear — the shooters had to report for the camp after the trials. The Army didn’t inform us in advance about their trials, otherwise we could have worked out something. The NRAI has requested the Army to postpone their trials by a week so that their shooters can report to them after July 6,” an NRAI official said.

The NRAI has told the Army that if it wants its shooters for the selection trials, then it should pay the full amount spent on their hotel bookings and travel arrangements. “We have instructed our national coaches not to relieve the shooters,” the official added.

However, it has been learnt that the Army is considering taking its orders back following the tough stand taken by the NRAI. Also, the shooters, too, have requested the Army to allow them to continue at the camp.