Kamesh Srinivasan
NEW DELHI
Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel had very encouraging words for the Indian shooters as he inaugurated the first World Cup of the season at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, on Thursday.
Though he named Gagan Narang, Heena Sidhu, Jitu Rai and Chain Singh, the Sports Minister exhorted all the Indian shooters, what with the host fielding the largest contingent of 63 shooters, to follow in the footprints of the country’s only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and bring glory to the nation.
“I call upon everyone to follow Abhinav Bindra and make a lot of records,” the Minister said, after declaring the World Cup open, in the presence of ISSF president Olegario Vazquez Rana and secretary-general Franz Schreiber.
“I have great expectations from our shooters and look forward to their performances over the next week,” Goel said.
The Sports Minister recalled that the shooting range, built for the 1982 Asian Games had been considerably developed over the years to world class standards and expressed happiness that it would host the World Cup Finals in October, and also another World Cup in 2019, which would offer Olympic quota places in rifle and pistol for the Tokyo Olympics.
He also pointed out that the formation of the sports ministry had helped in taking such elite sports like shooting to the common man.
“I am happy to be here in this beautiful city again, said Vazquez Rana.
Commending the organisers for the “excellent arrangements, hospitality and friendship”, he said
Delhi would be the centre of attention for the shooting world for the next 10 days.
With the ISSF having conducted its general assembly and executive committee meetings here over the last two days, top officials as well as shooters from 50 countries, enjoyed a crisp opening ceremony, after National Rifle Association of India president Raninder Singh welcomed the gathering.
Gagan Narang and Heena Sidhu took the oath on behalf of the athletes, while Dhiren Bhatia and another delegate from abroad took the oath on behalf of the officials.
An energetic dance show by the Zenith troupe, to a mix of Western and Indian numbers, along with a brilliant ‘hand shadowgraphy’ by Amar Sen, kept everyone entertained on a pleasant evening, on the eve of competition.
The opening day’s programme on Friday will have men’s and women’s air rifle apart from women’s trap finals.
There will also be the first stage of competition in men’s rapid fire pistol as well as trap.
NRAI secretary-general D.V. Seetharama Rao proposed a vote of thanks.
