NRAI thankful for saved Olympic quota places
The IOC restricted the withdrawal to only the two Olympic quota places in rapid fire pistol, from among the total of 16 on offer in rifle and pistol.
Published : Feb 22, 2019 09:33 IST
The president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Raninder Singh, thanked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), and a host of others for saving 14 of the 16 Olympic quota places in the Shooting World Cup getting underway at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad.
On behalf of the organising committee, the NRAI thanked the ISSF president Vladimir Lisin, the secretary general Alexander Ratner, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Dr. Narinder Batra, the Union Sports Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the former IOC member Randhir Singh and the current IOC member Neeta Ambani, for working towards "the best possible outcome" to a complex situation.
The decision of the IOC, to withdraw only the two Olympic quota places in the 25-metre rapid fire pistol event, owing to the two Pakistani shooters in that event not getting the visa to compete in the World Cup, has protected the "hopes and aspirations of the 500 athletes from 61 nations".
The NRAI has also expressed its commitment to work with the ISSF, IOA and the Ministry of Sports to address the future consequences of the "most peculiar and unprecedented scenario brought on by reasons beyond the regular control of the NRAI and the ISSF".