Junior shooting team selection for Asian Champions delayed

The National Rifle Association of India has delayed the selection of the junior shooting team for the upcoming Asian Championships. This is due to the Indian junior team's various code of conduct violations during their stay at the team hotel for the ISSF Junior World Championships.

Back in July, Indian junior shooters were present in Changwon, South Korea to participate at the shooting world championships. While the team returned with an impressive 17 medals, their achievement was tarnished by several disciplinary issues.

In the wake of these events, the NRAI has put into action a disciplinary committee which will look into the allegations. The committee is headed by NRAI President Kalikesh Singhdeo. This committee will share its report with the association, after which the junior team for the Asian Championships will be announced.

“The disciplinary committee headed by Kalikesh Singhdeo is looking into the matter and once the report comes, only then the announcement of the contingent will be made. There is no doubt that India will send its juniors for the competition, but the announcement of the contingent will get delayed,” Rajiv Bhatia, secretary of the NRAI told PTI.

The process (for selecting the team) has been delayed owing to the disciplinary issue during the Junior Worlds. The deadline to send the entries for the Asian Championships has still not expired. Hopefully, we will have a meeting in the next couple of days and finalize the contingent. We will send 40-50 junior shooters for the competition,” he further explained.

Bhatia also claimed that if the committee deemed it so, some top-ranked junior shooters might have to sit out the Asian Championships.

Speaking on the issue, NRAI secretary-general, Sultan Singh said,

“You may be a medallist or whatever but if you start behaving in an obscene manner then basically, we don’t need that medal.”

2023 Asian Championships: Indian senior shooting squad

Meanwhile, the senior shooting squad that will represent India at the Asian Championships has have a long list of shooters.

The list includes: Divyanshu Panwar, Arjun Babuta, Hriday Hazarika, Rudrakansh Patil, Ramita, Tilottama Sen, Shriyanka Sadangi, Mehuli Ghosh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale, Akhil Sheoran, Ashi Chouksey, Ayushi Podder, Sift Kaur Samra, Sarabjot Singh, Shiva Narwal, Kunal Rana, Surbhi Rao, Palak, Rhythm Sangwan, Vijayveer Sidhu, Anish, Adarsh Singh, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Prithviraj Tondaiman, Kynan Chenai, Zoravar Sandhu, Bhowneesh Mendiratta, Manisha Keer, Preeti Rajak, Sabeera Haris, Rajeswari Kumari, Anantjeet Naruka, Angadvir Bajwa, Gurjoat Khangura, Ganemat Sekhon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, and Darshna Rathore.