Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Rathore to run Rajasthan's interim shooting body

Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has been entrusted with the responsibility of running the Rajasthan Rifle Association (RRA), with the state government dissolving the previous body on the charges of manipulations in forming the association.

This marks the beginning of Rathore's foray into shooting administration.

"The state government has formed a committee under the chairmanship of Rathore after complaints were received from Akhilesh Pratap Singh (once a mayor of Bikaner) against RRA president Susheel Chaudhury regarding the formation of the association," an NRAI official, aware of the developments in Jaipur, told PTI on condition of anonymity.

As per the complaint lodged with the Jawahar Nagar police station in Jaipur, RRA was formed by giving "false declarations, informations and affidavits" by Susheel.

The complaint letter further stated that there were insufficient number of district rifle associations present in the last RRA elections as per the state's sports code.

"The matter was pending with registrar of society, Rajasthan for over a period of about one year before finally passing the order of constituting a committee to function in place of RRA.

"It is significant because a lot of shooters come from Rajasthan and the NRAI will now have to take proper action against Susheel, who is still being recognised by the national federation," a source close to both NRAI and RRA said.

Besides, there have been a number of complaints lodged against Chaudhury regarding the running of the RRA.

Sources added that a full-time state shooting body will be constituted after the NRAI elections, scheduled to be held in the Capital on Saturday.

A silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 43-year-old Rathore has crossed swords with the NRAI on a few occasions in the past