Amidst the global health crisis, Indian shooting is staying robust.
An online competition for rifle and pistol shooters across the country, conducted over the weekend, has opened a new avenue for efficient training.
Ved Prakash Sharma, A qualified coach and an ISSF-approved official, who got the idea from the Chinese, conducted the competitions from his base in New Delhi. About 60 shooters connected via the internet for the competition.
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The shooters shot at electronic targets in their homes and computers, connected through two applications, provided live video and scores to the central module. The SIUS-Ascor scoring system gave complete details, while the live video checked on the shooters, making the whole exercise transparent and lively.
“I got this idea after reading about the criticism about the training camp for the National team at the Dr. Karni Singh Range. I decided that we should also try it. There was a good response to our effort, and we didn’t charge any entry fee,” said Ved Prakash, who invited Asian Games gold medallist Jitu Rai to inaugurate the competition from his army base in Mhow.
“We will do it bigger in the future. State competitions can be done this way, so that shooters don’t have to travel. Most of the shooters have invested in electronic targets. I am also trying to develop a software so that we have a good system,” said Ved Prakash.
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“Shooters have known me for many years. I announced the competition through social media. Jitu has said that he will join the competition in future,” observed Ved Prakash.