Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the state-of-the-art shooting range at the Central Polytechnic, Vattiyurkavu, here, on Wednesday.
The Rs.30-crore facility was built for the shooting events of the 35th National Games which will begin at various venues across the State on Saturday.
The 1.25 lakh sq ft range probably houses the tallest and biggest air-conditioned hall in the State.
Besides this, the complex houses an armoury room, administrative block, players’ lounge, dressing rooms and a substation.
The equipment has been imported from Switzerland at a cost of Rs.9 crore and will be similar to the one which will be used for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In his inaugural speech, Mr. Chandy said the State had already created history through the greenfield stadium in Karyavattom. The Chief Minister said the facility would be properly maintained and would not remain idle after the Games.
“I have requested shooting coach Sunny Thomas to come up with a project to utilise the facilities after the Games. He has promised that this range will become a hub of shooting contests in India,” he said.
