Nipah Virus outbreak forces NRAI to postpone the 18th KSS Memorial Shooting Championship, Delhi to be the new hosts

What's the story?

People in Kerala have recently been victimized by the outbreak of the Nipah Virus. The unpleasant developments have forced the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) to postpone the KSS Memorial Shooting Championship, which was scheduled to be held in Trivandrum from June 7 to 17. The tournament was designed to function as trials for selection of elite shooters as well.

In case you didn't know...

The Nipah Virus is an arising infectious disease that broke out in Malaysia and Singapore way back in 1998 and 1999 and is gaining momentum in India, especially in the state of Kerala. In Bangladesh and India, there have been reports of possible human-to-human transmission of the disease. Typically, the human infection presents as an encephalitic syndrome marked by fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion, coma, and potentially death.

The heart of the matter

The recent deaths that have been occurring due to the spread of this deadly virus in Kerala have forced the National Rifle Association of India to postpone the dates for the 18th Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Championship.

“In view of Nipah virus in Kerala, it has been decided to postpone the 18th KSS Championship and selection trial 5, which were scheduled to be held at Trivandrum, Kerala. NRAI and the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation, the organization co-hosting the event, regret the inconvenience, if any, to all concerned" stated a top NRAI official.

"Delhi will host the event now and it will start around June 10,” NRAI officials added in the statement, declaring the new hosts and start date.

What's next?

The outbreak of any kind of virus that has no particular cure at present is always something dangerous. Keeping the safety quotient in mind, the NRAI took an important call and rescheduled the dates for the KSS Memorial Shooting Championship to June 10 onwards and finalized the new venue as Delhi.

Author's take

We hope that the state of Kerala finds a cure from the deadly Nipah Virus at the earliest. Till then, it's important to stay cautious and be aware of its symptoms. It's important to spread awareness about it too. Use of N95 masks and avoiding all possible contact with bats and pigs is advised at the present moment.