NRAI decide to rest Sultan

The decision to rest Sultan, as indicated by Italian coach Marcello Dradi, has come as a surprise. By participating alongside world class shooters, Sultan would have gained the much-needed exposure here. But the thinking of NRAI — it is aiming for some wild card berths — has been on the lines of what the other Indian federations has been doing over the years. Since there will be at least seven shooters — who have clinched the `quota’ berths for their countries like Sultan did to India — in action here, the Indian’s presence would have not only helped him gain lost confidence but also done a world of good to the rest of the team.

But the argument advanced by NRAI is that Sultan will get his chance in subsequent World Cups, the immediate one being in Sydney just a few months away. What the NRAI is ignoring is that there is no substitute for match exposure.

For the moment, it is looking for three to four `wild cards’, including one for Anjali Vedpatak whose form has been good. But, again, she does not figure in the team fielded here.

India have fielded a sizeable number of shooters for the event, including some juniors who have been “shaping well with good results” in the recent past. Their senior trap team will consist of the old warhorses Mansher Singh, Manavjit Singh and Zorawar Singh along with juniors Anirudh Singh and Ranajit Nobis. The junior team comprises Varun Soni and Birendeep Sodhi.

Similarly, Harisimran Singh Sandhu, Harinder Singh Bedi and Rao Inderjit Singh form the skeet team with Rahul Rai and Shivinder Bhel.

The other team members include Aarti Rao (skeet women), Pranav Singh (skeet juniors) and the double trap team of RVS Rathore, Gaurav Sondhi, Moraad Ali Khan, Ronjon Sodhi and Hem Raj.

If Mansher and company do well here and the remaining World Cups, it will provide them with good opportunity get wild cards. But unlike the earlier one held here in 1977, the competition this time is going to be tough and the shooters realise this. However, they are pinning their hopes on the home advantage rather than their own form.

Of the seven `quota’ shooters, Egypt and Portugal have sent two each while one each has come from Italy, Colombia and Kuwait. All the shooters go through their mandatory training sessions on Wednesday while the inauguration by vice-president Krishna Kant is scheduled for March 2 at the Army Parade ground.

Stocks hit a high

For the moment, the ammunition problem seems to have blown over. The NRAI has sufficient ammunition stocked in the strong rooms at the Dr Karni Singh Range for the World Cup, thanks to the blanket permission given to participating nations to bring in their own ammunition stock.

In fact, most of the foreign participants have had easy access out of the customs following the ministry’s order to the airport customs top brass. In fact, the UAE team jetted to New Delhi in a charted plane and landed with 46,000 catridges containing in 88 boxes of 500 each. Similarly, other participants, including some Indians, have also brought in the RC-4 catridges and the current stock is said to be around 98,000. The NRAI is also said to be having sufficient stock to see through the tournament.

With rules prohibiting to stock them at their hotel rooms, all the arms and ammunition were taken straight to the range to be kept in the strong rooms, which are gurded round-the-clock by stengun wielding security personnel.

Major OP Bhatia, executive director (teams), assured that NRAI will be reimbursed whatever ammunition they spend during the meet once the Sports Authority of India (SAI) imports arrive.

According to sources, the Pokhran episode has left a bad taste in the mouth of ammunition exporting nations, particularly the UK. The procedural delays, including clearance from the various ministries of different governments consuming a lot of time, has only compounded the problem putting the spoke in the wheel of progress.

With sports minister SS Dhindsa expected to visit the range along with Digvijay Singh, Minister of State for Railways and president of NRAI, the SAI has sanctioned 20,000 clay pigeons for the meet besides a special quota for the Indian shooters.