ISSF says no Olympic quotas in World Cup, athletes shocked
SETBACK Shooting body chief says all 16 quota spots have been scrapped for denying visa to Pakistan
NEW DELHI: Indian and international shooters were left shocked and dismayed on the eve of the ISSF World Cup here on Thursday after the chief of the global shooting body announced the event has been stripped of its Olympic qualifying status over refusal of visas to Pakistan participants.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has scrapped all the 16 quota spots (qualification berths) for India refusing visas to Pakistan’s two shooters and manager over the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama that killed at least 40 CRPF personnel. ISSF president Vladimir Lisin in his address to shooters at the opening ceremony on Thursday disclosed the “bad news.”
“The International Olympic Committee has informed us that Olympic quotas will not be included in this competition and will be redistributed. In this case, quotas will be distributed in another World Cup. No athlete can be discriminated. We have to follow the IOC decision.
“We’ve to go by the Olympic charter. The ISSF and the organising committee of the World Cup are not at fault but it (visa denial) is about political interference.”
However, an IOC statement said a final decision will be taken only around 2.30am on Friday.
Of the qualifying berths on offer in the eight events, India were eligible to compete for 14. The country has already won two berths -- in women’s 10m air rifle (Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela) at the World Championships in Korea last September.
It is a huge setback for Indian shooters who have been doing very well at international events and hoping for home advantage.
“I’m surprised to hear this. Winning quota at home could have been good. But there is nothing much we can do here. I respect the decision of ISSF,” Rahi Sarnobat, Asian Games champion in 25m sports pistol, said.
The National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) claimed their shooters GM Bashir and Khalil Ahmad and manager Razi Ahmed were not granted visas. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) claimed visas were originally cleared but the situation changed after the Pulwama attack. On Thursday, ISSF and NRAI officials were engaged in discussions with the sports ministry and senior government officials.
ISSF also sent a mail to NRAP asking if they were still be prepared to come if visas are issued.
“ISSF has send us a mail this morning and asked whether we are prepared to come if some special arrangement is made and we said we are ready. We will come if granted visas. Our shooters have prepared for the World Cup,” said an NRAP official.
The IOC has come hard on countries not following its charter which states no athlete can be “excluded for racial, religious or political reasons or by reason of other forms of discrimination.” Shooters disappointed
There are 61 countries in the World Cup and the shooters were stunned. “I’ve come all the way from Europe to win an Olympic berth. It is very disappointing for me that the event will not have any quota,” said Russia’s Kirill Grigorian, bronze medallist in 50m prone in the Rio Olympics.
“I was not in team at the World Championships and I had to work hard to make it to the national team here.”
Germany’s Christian Reitz, the 2016 Rio Olympics rapid fire champion, said the World Cup won’t be of much importance now. “It’s shocking. I have been preparing for this World cup for the last two years. We come here to win Olympics berths and now they say there will be no quotas! I wish they had told us before reaching here, (instead of now) when you are mentally and physically tuned for such an important event.”
Iran manager Maryam Talebi said: “There should no discrimination in sport. We’re hoping to win one or two quotas from here. It is really unfortunate.”
NRAI president Raninder Singh was still hopeful. “We still do not know the concrete position of the IOC. We’re hopeful of finding a resolution,” he said.
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