Talented youngsters from Manipur may have gained huge success in several sports disciplines, but those aspiring to follow the footsteps of double trap shooter Rajayavardhan Singh Rathore or rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra face major hurdles en route to the bull’s eye.

Members of the Manipur squad, gathered at the National Shooting Championships now on in Ahmedabad, say that the prevailing law and order condition in the state stands between shooters and success.

RK Sanahal Singh, a senior shooter and member of the Manipur Rifle Association (MRA), explains how right from procuring arms and ammunition, shooters are struggling to keep their passion alive.

“Due to unrest in the state, it has become difficult to pursue the discipline. At the shooting ranges no one can fire without police escort. If you do, you will land behind bars,” said Sanahal. He was a participant in the men’s 50m prone event at the nationals.

Says the shooter that, many a time, the police doesn’t send an escort at the two ranges in Imphal, which are the two venues in the state where facilities exist for training. The ranges also don’t have modern facilities.

Recently in preparation for the nationals, MRA’s secretary M Rachandra Singh— who happens to be the top official in the state police department (wireless) — supported the shooting squad (small arms including .22 rifle) by sending his personal escort to the ranges to make it possible for shooters to train. “We could manage some training sessions, but we need to work harder,” said Sanahal.

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