SAI DEFENDS REJECTION OF FIVE SHOOTING COACHES

New Delhi, Sept. 11: The Sports Authority of India on Tuesday said five shooting coaches were rejected from a list of 29 submitted by the national shooting federation for not meeting the requisite criteria and termed the NRAI’s objection to its decision as “illogical”.

The SAI’s decision to dismiss the appointment of five shooting coaches irked the National Rifle Association of India president Raninder Singh, who wrote a letter to the government body, stating the move was “insensitive” and an “affront to our sport and human intellect”.

But SAI responded sharply, saying that it was “surprised” by such a late reaction from the NRAI after it “duly acknowledged” the decision conveyed to it on July 26.

“SAI held discussions with NRAI on the panel of 29 coaches which was submitted for appointment for training of Indian shooters. Following these detailed consultations, a panel of 24 coaches was approved,” SAI special director general Onkar Kedia said in a letter addressed to the NRAI president.

Kedia said that the five coaches — Shreayan Kapoor, Amar Jung, Jitender Beniwal, M S Bhangale and Nilanjana Ghoshal — were rejected because they did not possess requisite qualifications for the job.

He insisted Kapoor and Ghoshal have never competed at the international level nor do they have any coaching certificate.

Amar Jung, who played at the national level and has a ‘ C’ level coaching certificate obtained in 2017, was not experienced enough to handle international shooters, stated the body. All the rejected candidates were were shotgun coaches. the