NRAI has no jurisdiction over Para Shooting: Paralympic Committee of India

Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has protested the National Rifle Association of India's (NRAI) recent move to hold para-shooting events, saying that it has no jurisdiction to do that.

The country's governing body for the sport of shooting, NRAI had removed para shooting from all its competitions, including national championships, in 2019.

That move had left more than 200 para shooters in limbo ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

The NRAI had then said that since there's a separate organization -- PCI -- which controls para-shooting activities, including the selection of teams, it was removing para-shooting from its ambit, though it was hosting the sport for the specially-abled marksmen for more than 25 years.

However, on June 8, a letter from NRAI to PCI stated that it has decided to restart the para events "during State Championship/Pre-National and National Championship".

Taken by surprise, the PCI said the NRAI cannot take over any activities held under the aegis of the PCI without consultation.

The PCI technical committee chairman for shooting sports JP Nautiyal told PTI, "The NRAI don't have the mandate of World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) or the jurisdiction to issue directives to para shooters for competition-related and other activities as para shooting comes under PCI, and not NRAI. However, PCI is open to cooperation."

The NRAI issued another statement on Wednesday, directing all para shooters who wish to participate in the Zonal/GV Mavlankar Championship to register themselves with it for shooter IDs.

PCI secretary general Gursharan Singh had written to NRAI on June 26 stating that, as per the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) guidelines, PCI directly governs and administers para shooting.

"PCI has worked hard to develop para shooting independently for the last 5 years after NRAI's decision to abruptly stop support. This painful decision of NRAI was unilateral, without even any discussion or consultation with PCI," Gursharan wrote in the letter.

"The PCI, being an independent body has the status equivalent to the Indian Olympic Association. NRAI does not have any jurisdiction to decide on matters related to PCI for the conduct of national championship."

NRAI wrote back on July 7 that, ".on the instructions of the Sports Ministry, NRAI has accepted and processed to reintroduce 'para category' in all competitions of the NRAI. The role of PCI is as an umbrella organization for all disciplines. Selection trials/coaching camps/national championships are left to the respective National Sports Federations (NSFs) which are experts in their respective disciplines.

"The Governing Body of NRAI had excluded the para category from the program of its national championships (in 2019), due to the indifferent and non-cooperative attitude of some of the PCI officials," read the NRAI letter.

Interestingly, NRAI is the sole authorized body for importing arms and ammunition in the country, and the PCI (para shooters) relies entirely on them to get their guns and pistols for competitive purposes.

(With PTI Inputs)