All the 34 Indian shooters who are part of the Olympic core group will return to camp for training that will resume from August 1st. Their attendance is compulsory as per the information received from NRAI.
The NRAI has appointed High-Performance Manager and former India shooter Ronak Pandit as the Nodal Officer in charge of overall coordination for hygiene and medical protocols of the camp.
“Attendance shall be compulsory for this camp as the unprecedented circumstances found globally with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic dictates that NRAI’s options at being accommodating are virtually zero,” the body said in a statement.
“Therefore, currently the option of choice and personal interests must necessarily be put on the back-burner by all in the national interest, it was decided,” it added.
The Karni Singh shooting range was reopened so that players can train from 8th July. However, due to the pandemic, most of the shooters are practising individually on their respective bases.
“Utmost and most meticulous planning needs to be placed above all in the very strictest and most sterile conditions that we must now assure,” NRAI president Raninder Singh said.
“The health and safety of the players and coaches being paramount, we cannot afford any loose ends. NRAI can today say that it is fully prepared to resume a cautious and phased recommencement of national shooting activities from next month,” he added.
However, a total of 15 shooters have qualified for the next year’s Tokyo Olympics 2021.
Players, Coaches, and support staff will be staying at the Manav Rachna University Campus, which is also the training academy of ISSF and located close to the venue where players will be practising every day.
They will also get transport facilities that will be arranged by NRAI. They will also ensure that all the necessary precautions and guidelines must be followed keeping COVID-19 in mind.
“The NRAI shall be issuing its own and additional protocols that shall be strictly implemented in addition to those issued by SAI India, and naturally shall also be adhered to,” the NRAI statement read.
The NRAI is working hard to arrange a bilateral tour for the Indian Olympic squad, subject to the approval of the government and the Sports Authority of India.
