In an exclusive interview, Pawan Singh, the Secretary-General of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), has confirmed that two shooters from Bangladesh will participate in the upcoming Asian Shooting Championships in Delhi, despite recent tensions in cricketing relations between the two nations. Singh emphasized that the NRAI did not seek any additional assurances regarding the Bangladeshi shooters' visit, treating their entry the same as any other participating country.
The Asian Shooting Championships are scheduled to take place from February 2nd to 14th at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi. The event will host over 300 shooters from 17 countries. Shaira Arefin and Md Robiul Islam, both rifle shooters, will represent Bangladesh in the competition. They are expected to compete in a total of three events.
Singh clarified the standard procedure followed by the NRAI for international participation. "We sought clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, and Sports Ministry—standard procedure when athletes travel with weapons," he stated. He further added that the NRAI received clearance from all three ministries, and Bangladesh's entries were processed like any other country. According to Singh, the process commenced three months prior, and visas have likely already been issued.
This development occurs amidst a backdrop of strained sporting relations between India and Bangladesh. Recently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka will jointly host. This decision followed Bangladesh's refusal to send its cricket team to India for the tournament, citing security concerns after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to drop Mustafizur Rahman from their squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The participation of Bangladeshi shooters in the Asian Championships, despite the cricket controversy, highlights a distinction in how the two countries approach different sporting events. An inside source suggests that Bangladesh cleared the shooters' trip to Delhi because shooting is an indoor sport with a limited crowd, a factor that likely eased security concerns.
Rajiv Bhatia, NRAI secretary, confirmed that the NRAI is in regular contact with the Bangladesh team and players, who have confirmed their participation. "Their team is coming, no doubt about it," Bhatia stated.
In other news, the NRAI recently concluded an International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) 'B' Coaches Course, awarding diplomas to 55 coaches. This initiative aims to strengthen India's coaching ecosystem in shooting sports. The five-day course, led by Vesa Nissinen, Director of the ISSF Academy, included instruction from international and Indian experts on athlete management, physical preparation, and long-term performance development. Sanjeev Rajput, a two-time Olympian rifle shooter, and Davide Secondi, the national coach of Saudi Arabia, were among the instructors.
