By Shaurya Dutt
New Delhi [India], June 6 : Paris Olympics bronze medallist Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kushale, along with shooter Sift Kaur Samra expressed their delight as India is set to witness its first-ever franchise league in sport shooting, tentatively named the Shooting League of India (SLI) organised by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) which will take place later this year from November 24 to December 7.
The proposal, put forward by NRAI President Kalikesh Narayana Singh Deo, has been approved by the Governing Body, the national federation's highest decision-making authority.
Speaking about the SLI, Sarabjot Singh told ANI, "This is a very good initiative of the National Rifle Association of India. We will get a very good experience from this competition. For the first time, the league is being organised. I am very excited for it."
On the Shooting League of India, shooter Swapnil Kusale said, "This league will be helpful for all the athletes. We will get to learn a lot by competing in this league."
India Women shooter Sift Kaur Samra also expressed his where she said that this league will provide opportunities to youngsters to compete in different categories.
"I am very excited as the league is being organised for the first time...This league will provide a very good opportunity to the juniors as they will compete in different categories..."
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) officially unveiled the logo for the highly anticipated Shooting League of India (SLI) at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on Thursday afternoon, as per a release from NRAI.
Several Indian athletes at the Indian camp, gearing up for the 2025 ISSF World Cup in Munich, attended the unveiling and expressed their excitement for the inaugural edition of the league.
Along with Paris Olympic medallists Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, several top Indian stars, including Arjun Babuta, Sandeep Singh, Elavenil Valarivan, Ramita, Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil, Varun Tomar, Arjun Singh Cheema, Chain Singh, Kiran Ankush Jadhav, Ashi Chouksey, Shriyanka Sadangi, Suruchi, Palak, Simranpreet Kaur Brar, Akhil Sheoran, Sainyam, Nischal, and Rahi Jeevan Sarnobat, came for the occasion.
India recently secured three bronze medals in shooting at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, half of the country's total medal haul. This marked the first time India had won three medals in any single sport at the Olympics, making shooting the nation's most successful individual Olympic sport, with one gold, two silver, and four bronze medals over the last two decades.
Among India's historic achievements, its first-ever individual Olympic gold medal came from Shooting when Abhinav Bindra won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In Paris, Manu Bhaker became the first Indian athlete to win more than one medal in a single edition of the Games.
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