New Delhi, June 4 Arjuna Awardee rifle shooter Anjum Moudgil has expressed her delight at the introduction of the Shooting League of India (SLI) and said it will help unearth more talents and will be very helpful for the athletes to prepare for global events.
The inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) was announced by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) last month, and the tournament will have the window between November 20 and December 2. The competition will witness some of the prominent national and international names in action.
"It's a first-of-a-kind league happening, and I am really excited. I have been playing the sport for the last 17 years, and I have seen it grow tremendously. Having a league for shooting will really boost the image of our sport, and people will get to understand the minute details of it," Anjum said.
The 31-year-old athlete is of the opinion that a tournament like this will be very helpful for the athletes to prepare for global events. "Having a league would really help the athletes to prepare for global tournaments because there is a certain pattern that has been followed for so many years by us, the senior athletes," she said.
"We have played in a certain way in the competitions. But now, the new lot that are coming up, they are just super confident, and they want to gain as much experience as they can. So, these kinds of leagues can really be very useful, and I am really looking forward to this," she added.
According to Moudgil, having international athletes can be really helpful in giving exposure to the younger crop of athletes. Moreover, she feels that the exchange of knowledge about the sport can be very beneficial to create a roadmap for India.
“When you get people from other countries to play in a league, it just adds on in terms of experience, in terms of what you can see and learn through them. Basically, the major change that can happen in any sporting society or any sporting field is how you adapt to that change that comes from other countries,” Moudgil said.
“I feel it’s about the mindset. So, if one can just learn from them and get them to play here, I think this just makes the sport a lot better. SLI will help unearth more talent in the country,” she concluded.
The first season of the SLI will have mixed team events in pistol (10M, 25M), rifle (10M, 50M 3P), and shotgun (trap & skeet), as decided by the NRAI Technical Committee. A total of six to eight teams will feature in the competition and will be divided into two groups of four each in the league stage.
The selected players will be grouped into four tiers – Elite Champions, World Elite, National Champions, and Junior & Youth Championships – to balance experienced veterans and emerging talents.
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