Free air tickets, 5-star stay: India to roll out red carpet at 2022 CWG shooting

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 7

Free air tickets, five-star stay, free targets and ammunition — this is how the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) won over the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) officials.

NRAI president Raninder Singh, who is also the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) vice-president, proposed an expense-free competition for those who will be participating in the Commonwealth Games shooting competition that will be held in India as part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The competition is tentatively scheduled to start on March 14, 2022.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra has already sent in the proposal that has touted both Delhi and Chandigarh as venues to host archery and shooting competitions. Both shooting and archery are not part of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games programme.

In his proposal, Batra specified that NRAI will bear the cost of hosting the shooting competition, pegged at approximately Rs 10 crore, while the Indian government may fund the archery competition.

No bills for 38 nations

Starting from the round-trip air fare of the contestants, NRAI will pick up the tab for their travel from the airport to five star accommodation, and will also foot the bill for targets and as well as pellets and cartridges.

However, this free trip is for only 38 nations and their 282 shooters who participated at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, held in Gold Coast in Australia. Players and coaching staff exceeding the number quoted will have to bear all the costs.

CGF’s sports committee is scheduled to deliberate on the proposal on Thursday. The proposal will then be forwarded to the CGF board, who will meet some time in February to take a final decision.

While a final decision is yet to be taken, both NRAI and IOA officials are confident of getting the approval to hold the competition in India. As Tribune reported in November, Chandigarh will be the most likely venue.

‘Medals to be added to CWG’

The officials are also very confident that the medals won by countries at the two competitions preceding the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham will be added to the main tally. “Medals won in this adjunct sporting event would count towards the tally of the Birmingham Games 2022 at the same level of protocol and treatment as those won at the actual commonwealth Games in Birmingham,” Raninder Singh told The Tribune on Tuesday. “The combined residual balance of both would be the actual total that shall establish each competing nation’s legitimate closing ranking of the conclusion of the Birmingham edition of the Commonwealth Games,” he added. He also praised Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju for his help.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.