Shotgun Facility in Karni Singh Range to Undergo Complete Makeover for Continental Tournament

Bracing up to host Asia's last Olympic qualification event for shooting later this month, the shotgun facility at the Karni Singh Range has undergone a complete makeover for the tournament which will see participation of marksmen from 32 nations for 35 quota places. (Kuwait Shooting Event Stripped of Olympic Status Over Israeli Ban)

The tournament was given to New Delhi after the Asian Shooting Championships, which was held in Kuwait last November, was stripped of its Olympic qualification status owing to an Israeli delegate being denied entry visa. (Revoking Olympic Quota Status of Asian Shooting Championship 'Politically Motivated': Asian Body)

The continental tournament will be held in the capital from January 25 to February 3, and will witness a total of 575 shooters in action.

The shotgun range has been totally redone, including installing new scoring equipments, electronic equipments and other things, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) officials said.

Problems were faced during the last Nationals, which was the last test event for this continental tournament.

Shooters from China, Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea will be arriving here on January 16, almost 10 days in advance, in order to get acclimatised to the conditions.

Five technicians from a firm called Swiss Accor will be coming here to ensure smooth conduct of the event, including upgradation of scoring and result validation system.

The total budget for the tournament is Rs 4 crore, with Rs 2.27 crore coming from the International Sport of Shooting Federation (ISSF).

Eight shooters, including 2008 Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang and Jitu Rai, have secured quotas for Rio Games at various world events