Chandigarh turns blind eye to target shooting

By Our Special Correspondent

IndianShooting.com Exclusive

2 July 2009. The sports administrators and shooting fraternity of Chandigarh, it seems, are apathetic towards target shooting, that gave India its first individual Olympics gold medal. Incidentally, Beijing men’s air rifle champion ---Abhinav Bindra, hails from the region.

The shooting ranges at Patiali Ki Rao, are hardly maintained these days, scope of improvement looks near to impossible as Chandigarh Police Department that oversee the ranges---hasn’t spent a penny to spruce up the facilities, in the recent past.

Photo: indianshooting.com Click to enlarge

The 10m Shooting Range at Chandigarh

The 10-metre range that is often used, is the most neglected of all. Off the 20 manual target pulleys, only half-a dozen are operational. Pulleys that are functional are obstructed by the wild grass.

The scenario at the other ranges--25-metre and 50-metre is almost the same. The above two ranges are occasionally used by the NCC cadets for their firing practice, and looks a little more neat and tidy than the 10-metre range.

Chandigarh Police Department officials at the ranges did talk of proposals to spruce up the facilities, but weren‘t sure when will the actual work commence. “The proposal has been sent to higher ups, it is up to them now to sanction the money, and get these ranges fully functional,” said one of the city police department officials on a condition of anonymity.

The official further said: “The ranges are spruced up once in a while when the state competition is conducted.” Surprisingly, several top shooters from the region including Bindra, have trained at the range in formative years of their shooting career, but no body is contributing to the grassroot facilities.

Indeed, Chandigarh boosts of excellent sports facilities, including hockey and tennis, but why has it turned a blind eye to target shooting! Nobody knows. indianshooting.com