Shooting Sport in India

Riding on the good work of Indian shooters, shooting is giving stiff competition to games like cricket in the popularity stakes. In 2004, the game of shooting gave India its first Olympic individual silver medal and, with two years to go for the Beijing Games, speculation is rife that Indian marksmen will come home with a bigger tally.

Notwithstanding the soaring popularity, shooting is generally regarded an expensive sport which only the affluent, powerful and the talented with institutional support can pursue as a serious career. While shooters like Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang come from wealthy families, others like Rajyavardhan Rathore are decorated Indian Army officers.

The National Rifle Association of India and the Indian government should made sure that Indian shooters get regular international exposure and can concentrate on honing their skills without bothering about financial constraints.