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The NRAI is racing against the clock to obtain accreditation for a shotgun coach for the Asian Games in Hangzhou. To overcome this challenge, they have reached out to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for assistance.
An accreditation issue has left the skeet contingent without an experienced coach to guide them during this crucial event. The NRAI has reached out to the acting chief of the Olympic Council of Asia, Randhir Singh, to expedite "extra accreditation" for the coach.
Currently, only one shotgun coach, Vikram Chopra, holds Asian Games accreditation and can accompany the Indian squad, consisting of trap and skeet shooters.
Unfortunately, the two foreign experts, trap coach Marcello Dradi and skeet specialist Ennio Falco, both from Italy, are not part of the Indian contingent for various reasons.
This uncertainty is causing anxiety for the skeet shooters as they remain unsure about who will accompany them. NRAI's secretary-general, Sultan Singh, has confirmed their efforts to secure support for the skeet squads, including both men's and women's teams.
They have formally requested OCA accreditation for Jitender Beniwal, the skeet coach. However, his name was inadvertently left out of the 'long list' sent to the Asian Games organizing committee by the Indian Olympic Association.
This omission occurred because Beniwal had not signed a contract with the Sports Authority of India at the time. NRAI Secretary General Sultan Singh expressed that their priority is to secure accreditation for Beniwal, as he is the designated skeet coach.
If Beniwal's accreditation doesn't materialize, NRAI has a contingency plan in place involving shotgun coach Anwar Sultan. Anwar was included in the initial 'long list' of coaches but specializes primarily in trap shooting.
"Anwar Sultan at the moment may not leave (for Hangzhou) because he is the trap coach. We are trying for the skeet coach (Beniwal) to be there (in Hangzhou)," Singh concluded.
NRAI is committed to ensuring the skeet team has the appropriate coaching support, and they are utilizing all possible avenues to resolve the accreditation issue promptly.
Asian Games 2023: Indian squad for Trap and Skeet
MEN
Skeet: Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, Gurjoat Singh Khangura, Anantjeet Singh Naruka
Trap: Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Prithviraj Toindaman, Kynan Chenai
WOMEN
Skeet: Darshna Rathore, Ganemat Sekhon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal
Trap: Preeti Rajak, Manisha Keer, Rajeshwari Kumari
MIXED
Skeet: Gurjoat Singh Khangura, Ganemat Sekhon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Anantjeet Singh Naruka
The eagerly anticipated trap and skeet shooting events at the Asian Games 2023 are set to commence on September 27 and September 30, respectively. Shooting enthusiasts can catch the action live, starting at 6:30 am IST.
