A sophisticated premises to promote air rifle and pistol shooting as a sport was inaugurated during Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s recent visit to the city. The Trichy Rifle Club (TRC) facility, built at a cost of about ₹10 crore at the City Police Armed Reserve Ground in K.K. Nagar, was declared open by Mr. Stalin on Thursday.
The building has shooting ranges that allows members to practice at distances of 10, 25 and 50 metres set up in a campus of approximately 27,000 sq ft. While the 10m range is an indoor facility, the 25m and 50m ranges are open-air with protective structures to minimise damage caused by misfiring.
Around 205 people (two of them women) have enrolled as lifetime members from all over the State at TRC so far. A dedicated subscription drive for students and annual users would be held after the upcoming Pongal festival, said club authorities.
The club is expected to help aspirants to train for district, regional, national and international shooting competitions.
Fees for lifetime membership have been pegged at ₹2.5 lakh. Senior range officers and shooters will be available for coaching.
The club would function under the guidance of an executive committee, led by the City Commissioner of Police as president. Collector and Inspector General of Police, Central Zone, Tiruchi, would be TRC’s patrons.
Members of the public who are 18 years and above, and students who have completed 12 years, are eligible to apply for the lifetime and student subscriptions respectively. For more details, call (Mob) 9942988642.
