Former Indian shooter Jaspal Rana has slammed the National Rifle Association of India’s (NRAI) decision to send the Olympic-bound shooters for the World Cup in Munich, starting on Friday. In an exclusive interview with IANS, the Asian Games gold medallist shooter Rana questioned the selection of Olympic-bound shooters in the World Cup just before the quadrennial showpiece. The veteran said the event will not aid shooters for Olympic preparations as it is tough to sustain peak performance for such a long period.
“There will be a World Cup in Munich after the hectic one-month Olympic trials. No player wants to perform badly in the World Cup. If you’re at the peak, will you be at the peak after one month also? Which sports science centre will tell you that players can stay at peak for three months? You can’t stay at peak level for long,” Rana told IANS.
“The policy was wrong and when you’ve made the policy just stick to it. You’re not sticking to your policy. If there is no ranking and point system in the Munich World Cup, why are you delaying the names of the selected shooters for the Olympics? Even if you have to adjust one to two players, then reveal the rest of the players so that they can start their preparations,” he added.
After competing at the Munich World Cup, the team will proceed to a camp in France before heading back for a two-week break at home. They will then assemble for a camp in Bhopal, before departing for the Olympic Games.
The 47-year-old further said that India should have replicated the approach opted by other countries including China and the USA, who have sent their second-string squad for the World Cup in Germany.
“Other countries have sent their B or C category squad for the World Cup. Very less Olympic-bound shooters will participate in it. This is not an opportunity for the Olympic team,” Rana asserted.
With less than two months left for the coveted Games to begin in Paris, there is still no clarity on India’s shooting squad for the event.
“I’ve failed to understand that if NRAI doesn’t have the president, chairman of the selection committee and policy-making committee, then how they are selecting the team? It could be one of the reasons that the chairman of the NRAI selection committee is not there, that’s why they’re delaying the announcement,” he said.
Despite the multiple challenges, Rana is hopeful of better results from Indian shooters in Paris.
“Yes, we were well prepared last time. This time too, our preparations are pretty well. The only thing that went wrong last time was the postponement of the Games due to Covid-19. Our team was at its peak at the time of the Olympics (as per the original schedule in 2020). After that due to a lot of problems, we couldn’t manage it properly.
“I’m quite positive,” Rana said on India’s medal chances in the Paris Olympics.
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