Full bore rifle events key to India’s 2022 CWG proposal
The full bore rifle events were not part of the original plan of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) but seems to be added on request of the 2022 Commonwealth Games organisers.
As the Commonwealth Games Federation considers India’s innovative proposal to host separate shooting and archery events and have the medals added to the 2022 Birmingham Games tally, a lot of discussion will centre around full bore rifle events.
In fact, the full bore rifle events were not part of the original plan of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) but seems to be added on request of the 2022 Commonwealth Games organisers. “It was not in our (original) proposal but if they insist we will do it. We are open to that. We have included it in the proposal we have sent. We have made the provision in terms of cost,” said an NRAI official on Thursday.
As far as India is concerned, the full bore rifle events will be a weak link. The events have been dominated by England over the last three editions.
The two full bore events has significantly added to the cost, which India has proposed to bear. India would spend around ~10 crore to host 23 shooting events, including the full bore events, paying for air travel and five-star accommodation of 358 athletes and officials, cost of ammunition for training and competition and expenses incurred on jury members from ISSF. The ammunition cost for big bore events for training and competition is estimated at around ~26 lakh, out of a total ~72 lakh estimated for the entire shooting competition.
Besides, the ISSF will not oversee the conduct of full bore events and that will add to the “operational complexities,” IOA president Narinder Batra pointed out in his letter on January 3 to CGF president Dame Louis Martin.
“NRAI is awaiting your decision whether to conduct or not the full bore discipline in shooting, which is a significant cost. This decision would be necessary to recommend whether the events could be hosted in Chandigarh or New Delhi,” Batra wrote.
“In case shooting is held at Chandigarh, a new range has to be built,” said Hussan Lal, Punjab’s sports secretary.
India’s proposal will be discussed by CGF sports committee and then by its executive board next month. It will then go through a vote of all the 71 CGF member associations.