NRAI announces India’s first-ever shooting league

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced on Wednesday the launch of the country’s first-ever franchise league in shooting, called the Shooting League of India (SLI).

NRAI announced the launch of the country’s first-ever franchise league in shooting. (Representative Image) | Photo Credit: NRAI

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced on Wednesday the launch of the country’s first-ever franchise league in shooting, called the Shooting League of India (SLI).

This initiative was proposed by NRAI President Kalikesh Narayana Singh Deo and has received approval from the Governing Body.

While the exact timeline for the league is yet to be confirmed, the inaugural edition is likely to take place in March 2025, pending approval from the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

Speaking on the development, Singh Deo said, “Shooting, particularly after the performance in the recent Paris Olympics has received a huge fillip in its popularity and we thought that this was the right moment to launch a league. We have seen how well organised franchise leagues have not only helped in popularising the sport even further, but most importantly have brought in new audiences and revenue for them and their athletes. We owe it to our athletes to make the sport self-sustainable.”

“Shooting in its purest Olympic form and format is not considered television friendly however we have all deliberated upon it extensively and feel that we may have arrived at a winning formula. Let’s keep our fingers crossed as all is in the interest of the sport and its super athletes, who have brought glory to the country on global platforms consistently over the last few decades.” he added.

K. Sultan Singh, Secretary-General, NRAI, who shed light upon the basic contours of the SLI, said, “We want to have all 15 Olympic events as part of the SLI, but we will try to innovate and tweak some formats so as to make them more exciting to watch on telecast or livestream. We also want to have unique ownership and team composition, which will help in bringing in newer audiences and sponsors to the sport. More details will be shared soon.”

India secured three bronze medals in shooting at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, with Manu Bhaker making history as the first Indian athlete to win more than one medal at a single edition of the Games, achieving two bronze medals in Paris.