Mumbai rain has shooters in a fix

NEWDELHI: More than 1,000 shooters participating in the GV Mavlankar Championship — pre-nationals — in Mumbai have been caught off-guard by heavy rains. Competitors have to shoot a minimum qualification score (MQS) in their respective events to win a berth in the Nationals to be held at Kerala from December 11-31.

If heavy rains on Tuesday and Wednesday saw the organisers — Maharashtra Rifle Association — struggling to clean up the flooded Worli range and complete the schedule, the competitors faced the challenging task of achieving MQS in testing conditions.

Ashok Pandit, president of the state body, said he wasn’t expecting bad weather at this time of the year. “It’s an uphill task to manage the event due to inclement weather. Officials have been busy pumping out water from the outdoor ranges, but there is no res- pite,” he told Hindustan Times.

With the weatherman predicting more rain in the next 24 hours, the organisers are keeping their fingers crossed. “There is no possibility of shifting to another venue. We have to wait and hope for the best,” he added.

The 13-day event started on Sept 14 and will continue till next Tuesday. Competition in air rifle is nearly over, but pistol shooters and those competing in the 50m and 25m ranges have been stranded.

Shooters who have their events on Thursday and Friday might struggle to reach the venue as more than 10 flights from Delhi have either been cancelled or delayed.

Even the 10m indoor range has seepage. Pandit, a former international, said, “We are trying to complete the schedule. Those shooters who weren’t able to reach the venue due to rain will be accommodated in the next detail,” he said.

WITH THE WEATHERMAN PREDICTING MORE RAIN, THE ORGANISERS ARE KEEPING THEIR FINGERS CROSSED. OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN BUSY PUMPING OUT WATER FROM THE OUTDOOR RANGES.