Far from the bull’s eye

Deplorable conditions at the CYG shooting range affect practice sessions

PUNE: With just two days to go for the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), the Indian shooting contingent was spotted practising in deplorable conditions during their practice session at the shooting range in Pune on Friday.

Till Friday, the shooters practised with no shade to beat the scorching sun or rain between breaks. They came with umbrellas and chairs, which they used during intervals.
With no generator back-up, another problem that stalled practice sessions was power failure. To top it all, auto rickshaws, trucks and bikes were driven in the vicinity of the  range.

The venue was supposed to be handed over for practice by October 1, but that never happened, informed an  official. “The technical authorities and the organising should look into the matter. We have got the venue now because of the efforts of Baljit Singh Sethi, the secretary general of National Rifle Association of India,” competition manager Deep Bhatia said.

The shot gun area is full of flaws as the work is still not complete and shooters are finding it difficult to focus on the game after the endless distraction. “We have been to the practice sessions in Hyderabad and Delhi ranges and we never came across such a situation, where construction vehicles commute freely during practice sessions,” said a player’s parent.

Venue manager, DK Shukla admitted the delay in completing the trap and skeet range due to labour shortage. “The levelling work and the practice sessions are going on simultaneously and we see to it that it doesn’t clash. The players might have come before the time slot given to them for practice,” he said.

By the rule book
6.3.18.4: Ranges must be constructed to prevent any person from being exposed to danger.

6.3.18.5: The shooting station must be protected from rain, sun and wind if this does not prevent spectators from getting a clear view