AFTER OPENING the women’s hockey academy in Gwalior recently, the Sports and Youth Welfare Department is preparing to open a shooting academy in Bhopal. The announcement is likely to be made during the Vikram Awards presentation function on September 11. The department has invited world No 1 trap shooter Manavjeet Singh as the chief guest of the function.
Shooting, a game of concentration, grabbed wide public attention when Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won silver for the country in the last Olympics. However, it was the trap category that attracted a number of sportspersons. India got one more feather in its cap when Manavjeet Singh grabbed the first position in the world ranking.
The Sports Department policy mentioned that the department would give special importance to the games that are less popular. According to the sources, opening of the academy is a part of that policy. Most of the formalities have been completed, added the sources. However, the department has avoided disclosing anything regarding the academy.
A few months back, the department invited Mansher Singh, the international shooter, to give tips on opening the academy. The State is no dearth of talented shooters.
This could be gauged from the fact that Rajkumari Dondia of State, a Vikram Award recipient, won four medals, including three golds and one bronze, in the SAF Games organised last week in Colombo. Such an academy would not only help preparing new generation of shooters but also the shooters like Dondia.
{{/usCountry}}This could be gauged from the fact that Rajkumari Dondia of State, a Vikram Award recipient, won four medals, including three golds and one bronze, in the SAF Games organised last week in Colombo. Such an academy would not only help preparing new generation of shooters but also the shooters like Dondia.
{{/usCountry}}According to the sources, the department plans to make it a high standard academy where all necessary facilities for all categories of shooting would be available.