Vinayak Padmadeo
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 29
Ace pistol shooter Heena Sidhu has criticised the manner in which the shooting team was selected for the Asian Games. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has named the squads for the August-September Asian Games and the Changwon World Championships. Heena was overlooked for the mixed team event for the Asian Games, for which NRAI has teamed Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manu Bhaker with Abhishek Verma.
As per NRAI’s selection policy, No. 1 ranked shooters get selected for the mixed team competitions and accordingly Manu and Verma get the nod ahead of others. Heena has disputed this and says she is the top ranked shooter. She is basing her claim on the rule changes done by the sport’s global governing body, ISSF. The competition was changed from 40-shot format to 60-shot format. But since Indian shooters hadn’t started shooting the new format, the selection policy had to be tweaked.
The policy says: “… To overcome this issue, it has been decided that until a shooter has the requisite number of scores in the new format — the scores achieved by the shooter in the new format should be reduced pro-rata to the old format (until the NRAI conducts 4pistol/5rifle domestic competitions in the new format).”
It adds: “The average of three high scores (for pistol) and four high scores (for rifle event) shall be considered for calculating the ranking for selection of the national squad, ISSF World Cups and Commonwealth Games. This procedure will continue until trial 3 & 4 due to be conducted in April 2018.”
It’s a U-turn: Heena
Heena contends that the selection committee has overlooked the fact that all shooters have now shot over six recognised competitions in the new format and hence Manu’s CWG score of 388 should not be included as she has already registered over six scores in the new format.
“I don’t know what to do, whom to address this issue to. I am unable to get through to the (NRAI) president,” Heena told The Tribune. “This is a blatant U-turn by the selection committee when everything is clearly defined as per the policy. How can a score shot in the 40-shot format be included if a shooter has already shot over six competitions in the new 60-shot format?”
“If her CWG score is not included, Manu’s ranking falls down to fifth or sixth. Not only this, she shouldn’t be selected for the sports pistol event as she has not competed in the event since February. This is wrong,” she added. NRAI President Raninder Singh was unavailable for comments.
Fit for Worlds but not for Asiad
Heena’s isn’t the only omission. Mehuli Ghosh has been overlooked for the Asian Games. Apurvi Chandela and Elavenil Valiravan will represent India at the Asiad. Bizarrely, Elavenil’s name doesn’t figure in the squad announced for the World Championships.
Curiously, Elavenil, Shreya Agarwal and Zeena Khitta, who were to participate in the ISSF Junior World Cup, were exempted to shoot the fifth trial as they were to fly out of New Delhi on June 20. The three shot the trials a couple of days ahead with the men’s detail. Elavenil was then allowed to shoot the 10m air rifle final of the trials, which she won and got two bonus points. The precedent is that the shooters who get relief are not allowed to shoot in the final.
Same is the case of 10m air pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary. He has been selected for the Asiad but his name is missing from the Worlds squad.
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