Indian Shooting Contingent's Paris Preparations Could Have Been Better, Says Ronjan Sodhi

Asian Games gold medalist Ronjan Sodhi has expressed concerns about the preparations for the Indian shooting contingent ahead of the Paris Olympics. He believes that the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) could have planned better and called for greater involvement of sportspersons in the running of the federation.

Sodhi pointed out that the NRAI announced the 21-member contingent for Paris only two months before the Games, which left shooters struggling to plan their preparations and foreign exposure trips. He suggested that the announcement should have been made six months to a year in advance to give athletes ample time to prepare.

The veteran marksman also criticized the lack of sportsperson representation in the NRAI panel responsible for selection matters. He believes that more athletes should be involved in decision-making to ensure that the process is fair and transparent.

"I think they (NRAI) must have thought about something, whether having trials at the last moment or whatever, whether there was a selection policy which was in order. I would say, there should be more sportspersons when it comes to selection matters in the whole (NRAI) panel," Sodhi said.

Despite his concerns, Sodhi expressed optimism about the shooting contingent's chances in Paris. He acknowledged that the team is the largest ever and includes several talented young shooters.

"If you see, 21 shooters have qualified, which is the biggest (Indian) shooting contingent ever. I hope that they do well but shooting is one sport nobody can predict," he said.

Sodhi emphasized that the contingent is well-trained and has a strong support team. He believes that the shooters will enter the competition with confidence, despite being relatively unknown.

"They are fearless, that's an advantage (with youngsters), they are the underdogs, nobody knows them. If I ask the names of the 21 shooters going to Paris, nobody would know most of their names," he said.

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