Focus-----Shooting(Sport)

Men's shooting was one of the nine events at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896. In the Paris Games in 1900, live pigeons were used as moving targets. Thankfully, people started to realize what a barbaric practice this was and replaced the pigeons with clay targets. In 1907 the International Shooting Sport Federation came into existence. The women's shooting disciplines were only included in the Los Angeles 1984 Games.

The sport first appeared in 1896. There were also events in 1900, but none were contested during the 1904 and 1928 Games. Shooting became an Asian Games event at the Second Asian Games in Manila, Philippines, in 1954.

National Rifle Association of India

Established in 1951, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is the central body for the administration and promotion of shooting sport in India. The first speaker of Lok Sabha - G.V. Maviankar - was the founder President of NRAI. The NRAI is networked throughout India, through its 46 State Rifle Associations/Units located in different parts of the country. It holds national level competitions in rifle, pistol and shotgun events. India has also played host to a slew of international shooting events like the ISSF World Cup and the first Commonwealth Shooting Championship at Delhi in 1995.

NRAI deserves kudos for the remarkable improvement in the standard of the game in India. It played an active role in the construction of Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges, New Delhi, which was the first range in the country built as per International standards. Today, India has a number of talented shooters to boast of, who have raised the standard of the game and fetched national and international recognition to it.




Major Shooters in IndiA.....


Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Bindra is the brightest star among a new breed of talented Indian shooters. Born on 28 September 1983 to an affluent Punjabi family, Bindra developed the passion for the game at an early age. He became a shooter at the tender age of fifteen. He was the youngest participant at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

Anjali Bhagwat
In a sport like shooting, which is traditionally considered the fiefdom of men, Anjali Vedpathak-Bhagwat's emergence as an ace shooter has been like a whiff of fresh air. Fondly known as 'Arjuna of India' and 'Indian shooting queen', Anjali has inspired a horde of young women to take up the sport of shooting. The ace shooter was born in Mumbai to a Marathi family.

Jaspal Rana
Jaspal Rana is one of the most outstanding shooters India has ever produced. Born on 28 June 1976, Rana lent a glamorous touch to the sober game of shooting, both with his astounding achievements and with his good looks. Contesting primarily the 25 m Centre Fire Pistol category, Rana has secured medals for a number of times. He has won a gold medal at the 1994 Asian Games, 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2006 Asian Games as well.

Dr. Karni Singh
Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Bikaner, Karni Singh was a legendary shooter in the Indian shooting circuit. A shooter par excellence, Singh was world renowned for his outclassed talent and brilliant performance. However, he did not restrict himself to shooting and had varied interests as well. This is well reflected from the fact that Singh indulged in playing tennis, golf and cricket as well.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has been the poster boy of Indian shooting ever since he won the first individual Olympic silver medal for India, in the 2004 Athens Games. Rathore brought the entire nation to its feet with that awe-inspiring performance, in Men's Double Trap event. The event has already become a part of Indian sporting folklore for the sheer delight it brought to this humongous nation of one billion people.

Randhir Singh
Shooting has been a popular sport in India and was a favorite game with the Maharajas of the former princely states of India. The need to be adept and an expertise in shooting was an essential constituent to be a true royal descendant. This is one of the reasons that the origin of some of the leading shooters of India can be traced back to the erstwhile imperial families of India.

Samresh Jung
Shooting has been one of the most popular games in the India. In the ancient times, the need to be a master in the field was imperative, taking into consideration the colossal empires handled by the Maharajas. To be a true royal descendant, one had to have a forte at shooting. In the present times, shooting is looked upon more as an activity or game. Talking about the famous Indian shooters of the present era, Samresh Jung is one name that comes to mind.

Dr. Karni Singh 

Achievements:

• Won the National Championship in Clay Pigeon Trap and Skeet for 17 years in a row.
• Silver medal at the 38th World Shooting Championships at Cairo in 1962
• First shooter to be awarded the Arjuna Award (1961)

Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Bikaner, Karni Singh was a legendary shooter in the Indian shooting circuit. A shooter par excellence, Singh was world renowned for his outclassed talent and brilliant performance. However, he did not restrict himself to shooting and had varied interests as well. This is well reflected from the fact that Singh indulged in playing tennis, golf and cricket as well. He also loved flying, mechanics, photography and oil painting. Singh was an active member of the Asiatic Society of India and the Bombay Natural History Society. A true-blue royal, Singh was the front runner of Indian shooting sport.

To honor this exemplary ace shooter, India's only international standard shooting range in Delhi has been named as Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. 

Shooting Sport at Commonwealth Games,Delhi 2010

Schedule	6-13 October 2010
Events	10 m Air Pistol (Men & Women) 10 m Air Pistol Pairs (Men & Women) 10 m Air Rifle (Men & Women) 10 m Air Rifle Pairs (Men & Women) 25 m Centre Fire Pistol (Men) 25 m Centre Fire Pistol Pairs (Men) 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol (Men) 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol Pairs (Men) 25 m Standard Pistol (Men) 25 m Standard Pistol Pairs (Men) 50 m Pistol (Men) 50 m Pistol Pairs (Men) 50 m Rifle 3 Positions (Men & Women) 50 m Rifle 3 Positions Pairs (Men & Women) 50 m Rifle Prone (Men & Women) 50 m Rifle Prone Pairs (Men & Women) 25 m Pistol(Women) 25 m Pistol Pairs (Women)
Medals at Stake	23 Gold, 23 Silver, 23 Bronze (Men) 13 Gold, 13 Silver, 13 Bronze (Men)
Top PLayers	Gagan Narang (India)

Mr. Sunny Thomas is the only shooting coach to be awarded the Dronacharya Award

Paralympic/Disabled Shooting

Rifle shooting was an exhibition sport at the 1976 Paralympic Games in Toronto, Canada. In 1980, pistol shooting became an official medal sport.

Originally, the Paralympics were viewed as a form of rehabilitation and recreation for the disabled. Now, it has evolved into an elaborate and highly competitive sports meet.

As a special reminder, please do not confuse theSpecial Olympics with the Paralympics. While each event is extremely worthwhile, they are vastly different in their respective goals and participants. This is not meant to downplay the significance of the Special Olympics, but it is to help distinguish one event from the other.

GLOSSARY: 10 ring - The center ring of the target for pistol, rifle or running-target events, worth 10 points; also known as a "bull" or "bullseye". Bore - The interior diameter of a gun barrel. Broken target - A shotgun target that falls apart before being fired upon. Bull - The centre circle of the target for pistol, rifle or running-target events, worth 10 points; also known as a "bullseye" or "10 ring". Bullseye - The centre circle of the target for pistol, rifle or running-target events, worth 10 points; also known as a "bull" or "10 ring". Calibre - The unit of measure for the bore of a rifle or pistol. Call for the target - To call out a command when ready for the shotgun target to be released. Crossfire - To call out a command when ready for the shotgun target to be released. Double trap - A trapshooting event where two targets are released simultaneously at different heights and angles and the shooter must fire a shot at each target. Firing line - The line where shooting competitors position themselves to shoot their targets. Gauge - A unit of measure for the bore of a shotgun. High house - The trap house from where targets are thrown from a point higher than the low house in skeet events. Hit - A shotgun target that has been struck and broken by the shooter. Irregular target - A shotgun target that travels off course. Lost - The description for a shotgun target that has not been hit. Low house - The trap house from where targets are thrown from a point lower than the high house in skeet events. Malfunction - The failure of a gun or ammunition to work properly. No bird - An illegal shotgun target, usually because it is broken when it emerges, is not propelled or is released before the shooters call. Offhand - The standard shooting position for pistol. Primer - The explosive which ignites the gunpowder, in turn propelling the projectile or shot. Regular target - An unbroken shotgun target. Rimfire - Relating to a cartridge where the explosive that ignites the powder is contained in the rim of the case. Running target - A target moved across a track to simulate a moving animal or other target. Shooting station - The marked area where shooters must stand when firing. Shoot-off - A form of tie-breaker in a shooting competition. Sighter - A practice shot fired at the beginning of a match to check sight adjustments. Sighters are not counted toward the final score. Skeet - A form of clay-target shooting where targets are thrown from two traps about 40 metres apart and the shooter moves in an arc to different stations, firing from various angles. String - A series of shots, normally five or ten. Target - A board marked with concentric circles which shooters aim to hit. Three-position rifle - A shooting competition where shooters fire rifles from the prone, standing and kneeling positions. Trapshooting - The sport of shooting at clay targets thrown into their by a trap. Trigger pull weight - The minimum pressure that must be exerted on the trigger before a firearm will fire.