Arti for Women's Skeet in CWG

25 February 2010. India’s top women skeet shooter, Arti Singh Rao is upset over the fact that women's skeet event is being excluded from the Commonwealth games to be held on the home soil in October. The international shooter had raised her voice but there has been lukewarm response from the top officials of the Commonwealth Shooting Federation (CSF). But men's event has been included in the games.

Indianshooting.com has learnt that Arti had discussed the issue with president of the CSF Graeme Hudson, but he didn’t gave a green signal. "He (Hudson) is adamant, so I am thinking of approaching the chairman (Suresh Kalmadi) of the 2010 organizing committee," said the Indian shooter on the sidelines of the ongoing Commonwealth Shooting Championship.

Arti who paired with Rashmee to win team silver today, to support of her proposal has already got approval of shooters from other Commonwealth nations. "There are lots of them who want the event to be included in the games," she said.

According to a top official of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), its mandatory to have atleast six teams, which means close to 18 shooters. But there had been poor response to the event in the past, and scenario was the same in the ongoing championship. As many as nine shooters reported for the event.

But Arti says, shooters are keen to participate in the games in October. And have given their consent to Arti, to support her in her move. "I have got signatures of the shooters to prove that. All are very keen to take part," she said.

But the poor figure in the Commonwealth championship hasn’t changed Arti’s mind set, and she is going ahead to raise her voice. "Skeet is an Olympic event. It should be in the 2010 games," she said, adding, "if Big Bore competition which is not an Olympic event can be included why not women's skeet. I am definitely going to meet Suresh Kalmadi (Chairmain 2010 games organizing committee) shortly and apprise him of the situation.

One has to wait and watch Arti's next move!. indianshooting.com