By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Rifle Association Of India (NRAI) Friday clarified that its decision to pull out as host of the rifle and pistol World Cup in March was solely due to the absence of qualification spots in the event for the 2012 London Olympics.
NRAI secretary-general Baljeet Sethi said that a new International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ruling has made it mandatory that all quota places would be available in events only 24 months before the opening ceremony of the London Games.
“Earlier quota places were available in specific tournaments including World Cups, two years before the Olympics. But since the new IOC rule has been implemented now, the World Cup in March that we were to host becomes inconsequential,” Sethi said.
India had bid for the World Cup on grounds that “quota places” would be available helping Indian shooters to get a berth for the 2012 London Olympics.
Graeme Hudson, executive committee member of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) told IANS that since quota places were not available, the World Cup was not economically viable for the NRAI.
Hudson also said that infrastructure wasn’t a problem and added that the Karni Singh Shooting Range would be ready in time to host the Commonwealth Shooting Championships, oen of the test events for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, in February.
“Since there won’t be any quota places, top shooters in the world won’t take part in the March World Cup. So it is tough to generate revenue from the event and it was a wise move by the NRAI,” Hudson said.
Hudson said that the quota places would be available from the World Championship that starts July 27.
ISSF secretary general Horst G. Schreiber in a letter to the NRAI said: “Of course, we respect your decision to withdraw and we will try to find another organiser to take over this World Cup for rifle and pistol in 2010.”