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Coronavirus impact: India pulls out of shooting World Cup in Cyprus
A member of the squad, training here at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges, confirmed the development. “As of now we are not going as the hotel booking and air tickets have been cancelled,” the member said.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has decided to pull out the Indian team from the March 4-13 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus, due to novel coronavirus scare.
A member of the squad, training here at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges, confirmed the development. “As of now we are not going as the hotel booking and air tickets have been cancelled,” the member said.
The shooters attending the camp, that started February 21, went through routine training on Friday morning, but got a hint about withdrawal in the afternoon. The first batch of shooters was supposed to leave for Cyprus on March 2.
A podium finish in the season’s first global competition would have brightened the Indian trap team’s chances of earning global ranking points and subsequently become eligible to earn individual Olympic quota place by the end of May. As per the ISSF Olympic qualification rules, the highest-ranked athlete not yet qualified in any event, provided the concerned national federation doesn’t have quota place in that particular event, will be awarded a berth.
“We had good chances as those nations which have had already won quota places weren’t coming,” said a trap shooter in the camp.
The focus now is on the March 15-26 World Cup here at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges. “Performance in back-to-back World Cups would have carried more weight and enhanced chances of winning berth for Olympics. It will be more challenging since we aren’t taking part in Cyprus to earn quota place now,” said one of the shooters in the camp.
India have won 15 quota places including two in men’s skeet. Each national sports federation is allotted two quota per event and quota places are for the country and not individual. However, the trap team (men’s and women’s) for the first time in a long time weren’t able to grab the opportunity neither in the 2018 Olympic qualification period or in 2019 cycle that concluded with Asian Shooting Championships at Doha in November.
The women’s trap team comprises of Shreyasi Singh, Seema Tomar and Rajeshwari Kumari while Kynan Chenai, Prithviraj Tondaiman and seasoned shooter Manavjit Singh Sandhu were picked up for the men’s side after the national selections trials.
Ganemat Sekhon, Darshna Rathore and Areeba Khan were selected for the women’s skeet team. Angadvir Singh Bajwa and Miraj Ahamd Khan won quota places in November land were taking Cyprus event as part of preparation for Olympics. Gurjoat Khangura was the third shooter in the team.
