Shooting will join India’s franchise-based sports leagues this year. The inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India will be held from 20 November to 2 December with eight teams, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Singh Deo revealed on Saturday after its governing body meeting.
It has also been learned that the inaugural edition of the Shooting India League will feature only a mixed-team format across disciplines, not individual events, in a bid to make the event more audience-friendly.
The franchise-based league will have eight teams divided into two pools of four teams in the league stage, which will take place between 21st November and 26th November, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages.
The teams will be divided into two pools for the league stage (Nov 21-26), with the top two teams advancing to the knockouts.
“All our partners and members have been signed on or agreed upon; we are in the process of registering various structures required for the governance of the league. NRAI will incubate the league, but it will be run by professionals,” Deo continued.
The first edition is likely to be held in Delhi’s Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. It will feature all six Olympic disciplines — 10m air rifle, 10m air pistol, 25m sports pistol, 50m 3 Positions, trap, and skeet. There will be six men and women in each team, with a maximum of four foreigners. They will be grouped in four tiers — elite champions, world elite, national champions, and junior and youth champions — to lend balance.
“ISSF has sanctioned a window from November 20 for 11-12 days. This has been put on the ISSF calendar; a link for the registry of international players is part of the same ISSF calendar document.” This year, it will be held between the world championships in Cairo and the year-ending Doha World Cup final.
