Shooting goes online but Baki, Shakil miss out
While in home confinement, chess players have found it ideal time to hone their skills through playing chess online. Now another breed of sports stars – shooters -- are making use of their downtime by transforming their living rooms into makeshift ranges to engage in online competition following the game's world governing body's cancellation of all competitions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The initiative, first-of-its-kind, was taken by former Indian rifle shooter Shimon Sharif and the two phases of the event have already taken place and streamed live on internet platforms. Some 50 top air rifle and pistol shooters from Europe, India, Iran and other countries took part in the competition.
India's Sanjeev Rajput and Shahzar Rizvi won 10m air rifle and pistol events respectively. Rajput shot 252.6 in 24-shot final which was held on Saturday following the successful hosting of the first round on April 15. Rizvi shot 241.7 to clinch the top prize in 10m air pistol event.
The whole process was carried online, with an electronic target board and computer making it possible through use of SCATT apps and a training software, which calibrates shots in such a way that they show results according to the 10-metre distance.
"This competition is an effort to keep our sport alive even in these tough times," Sharif was quoted as saying by PTI. "This one is only for the elite shooters but later we will organise competitions which will be open to all once every quarter with a prize money."
Bangladesh's rifle shooter Abdullah Hel Baki was invited to the competition, but the two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist declined the invitation due to lack of equipments and facilities at home.
"I was invited to the online shooting competition, but I told them that we are all at home where there is no opportunity to turn things into a makeshift range," Baki told The Daily Star yesterday.
While Baki did not follow the live streaming, another Commonwealth Games silver medallist, pistol shooter Shakil Ahmed, did watch the event online.
"I watched the live streaming after being informed by the BSSF general secretary [Entekhabul Hamid]. I had no idea about it earlier," Shakil told The Daily Star.
"It would have been possible for us to compete in this competition if we had electronic targets and computers which have been sent to the competitors' houses by the respective federations. That is not possible in our country. We are not that advanced technologically to avail such opportunities," said Shakil, also a gold medallist of 2016 South Asian Games.
However, both Baki and Shakil said that they would have felt better if they were able to participate in the online shooting championships.
Comments