Efforts on to ease norms for acquiring ammunitions

New Delhi: Indian shooters complaining about lack of ammunitions could soon become a thing of past as the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is set to come out with guidelines under which youngsters will have easy access to pellets, pistols and rifles.

The NRAI officials discussed the possibility of "easing the norms" on availing ammunitions during a party thrown by Vijay Kumar after the London Games silver-medallist was honoured with the Padma Shree recently. "They are making efforts to ease all the norms. There was a discussion on how to make pellets, pistols and rifles easily accessible to shooters," an official, who was present in the party, told PTI. "Everything discussed there was in favour of the shooters, and they are likely to come out with the guidelines," he added. The NRAI was not very forthcoming when contacted, but it did disclose that plans are afoot to promote the sport at all levels, with special emphasis on grassroots. "We are trying to promote shooting, especially at the lower level, so as to catch them young," NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia said. The aim, according to a source in the NRAI, is to "liberalise shooting" in the country after its reasonably good performance in London from where the marksmen returned with two medals -- Gagan Narang`s bronze to go with Vijay`s silver medal. "Indian shooting has done well in London and they have been doing pretty well internationally over the last decade. The likes of Gagan Narang, Vijay Kumar and (Beijing Olympic gold medallist) Abhinav Bindra have been inspiring the aspiring shooters," said Sarkar Talwar, Director, Manav Rachna Sporting Academy. Vijay is doing his MBA from the Manav Rachna International University, besides training at the university`s shooting range. The shortage of ammunitions has been a perennial problem for the shooters. The NRAI was, in the past, accused of being part of a nexus involving coaches and arms companies over importing of arms and ammunitions for the shooters. The federation though, rubbished the reports. A year before the London Games, the NRAI had run out of ammunitions for shooters due to a delay in procuring the import license. The NRAI, meanwhile, said that it has received two-three biodatas for the vacant post of pistol coach. "They are under consideration now," Bhatia said. PTI