NRAI Launches Logo of 8th Asian Air Gun Championship to be held in New Delhi


New Delhi, 14 July, 2015: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) together with the Organizing Committee launched the logo for the 8th Asian Air Gun Shooting Championship, slated to be held from September 25 to October 1, 2015, at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in the National Capital. Shooting fans will get a treat of top quality international shooting after a period of five years, when Indian stars like Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang and Jitu Rai lock horns with the likes of reigning Olympic and World Champions Jin Jongoh (Korea), Zhu Qinan (China) and Yang Haoran (China).

There are 12 events in the offing over four days of competition in both the senior, youth and junior categories for men and women. Air Gun competitions are restricted to the Air Rifle and Air Pistol segments.

Expressing his happiness on the occasion, Mr. Raninder Singh, President, NRAI, said, “Shooting has been India’s joint most successful Olympic sport after Hockey and we are confident we will be able to bring even greater laurels for the country, come the 2016 Rio Olympics. This championship will serve as part of the ongoing preparations towards that aim and I want to thank the Sports Ministry of the Government of India, as well as the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and above all our world class shooters for their relentless support and commitment to the sport of shooting, which has been key in helping us bring this high-quality competition to India.”

The senior India shooting squad has already bagged five Rio Olympic quota places, out of a maximum possible 30 that each nation can win. All five Rio Olympic quota winners, namely former Olympic Gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, London 2012 Bronze medalist Gagan Narang, Pistol aces Jitu Rai and Gurpreet Singh as well as Glasgow Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Apurvi Chandela were present on the occasion. The next assignment for the squad begins on August 6 in Gabala, Azerbaijan where the ISSF World Cup for Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun will see 35 more quota places secured for Rio 2016- hopefully a few more of India as well.