NRAP picks three shooters to feature in all world cups next year

KARACHI: National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) will send three shooters to all the world cups and Asian championships scheduled in 2019.

The Executive Committee of NRAP decided this in a meeting held the other day. “This is to be done to make our top shooters win quotas for Olympics 2020,” said Executive Vice President NRAP Javaid S Lodhi while talking to ‘The News’.

“We are sure that the three will either win the quotas or be eligible for quota places through International Olympic Committee,” he added. “NRAP is very hopeful that Usman Chand, G M Bashir, and Khalil Akhtar will win Olympic quota for Tokyo Olympics and one of them may even win an Olympic medal,” said Javaid.

“Besides them, Minhal Suhail will also be sent to some events. Other talented shooters of the country will also get chances to participate in international events based on their performance at the national level,” said Javaid.

Usman from Sialkot has been the national champion for last four years in skeet event. In the recent Asian Games, Usman scored 122 points out of 125 in the main qualification round of skeet event, missing the Asian record by only one point.

He also beat the Olympic Bronze medalists of 2012 and 2016 Olympics there. It is worth adding here that there are 15 gold medals up for grabs at Olympics. The Executive VP of NRAP said that in the 2016 Olympics, two Pakistani shooters participated after getting Olympic Quota whereas no other athlete in any other sport could qualify.

Bashir from Navy scored 583 points out of 600 in Rapid Fire Pistol event in the World Shooting Championship held in South Korea from August 30 to September 15 September this year. He stood seventh in the world. Khalil from Army scored 579 points out of 600 in the same event to claim the 18th position.

It is pertinent to mention here that NRAP has already requested to Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) to allow duty-free import of shotgun for Usman and cartridges for preparing the shooters for Tokyo Olympics.

The association has also demanded permission to import 50,000 skeet shotgun cartridges per year without payment of any taxes for the next two years. Next year, the world cups are scheduled in India, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, China, South Korea, Germany, Finland, Brazil, and Peru.

Meanwhile, a source said that Pakistani athletes are not likely to participate in the ISSF World Cup for Rifle/Pistol to be held in New Delhi from February 20-28 because of strained relations between the two countries.