Coming soon: First state-run shooting range

GURUGRAM: The city’s first state-run shooting range will soon come up at Tau Devi Lal Stadium. GMDA has put forth a proposal to make a 50m shooting range in the city that will be run by a government agency. Anyone can come and get free training at the range, officials said.
“The shooting range will be built at a cost of Rs 2-2.5 crore. It will have all the latest equipment and players can come and practise free of cost.” said GMDA manager of Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sukhbir Singh. However, the players will have to arrange their own pistols.

There are many private shooting ranges in the state. “This will be the first shooting range in the state which will be government-run. It’s good to see that GMDA is thinking of starting a new academy in the city,” said Raj Yadav, district sports officer.

Haryana’s shooters have already made a mark on the international stage, but the state that is reckoned to be number 1 in sports in the country does not have a single full-fledged, government-run shooting range.

Till now, the Haryana Olympic Association, Haryana Shooting Association and the sports department have not been able to provide a single range with bare minimum infrastructure to Haryana’s shooters. Two of Haryana’s shooters — Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala — are tipped to be India’s next big hopes but both train on their own.

“I train for 2-3 hours daily at a private shooting club in Sector 15 and spend from my own pocket. A government shooting range is the need of the hour,” said 11-year-old Tiyana Phogat, who got first position in .177 air pistol sub junior women category at an all-India event held in Ahmedabad in October last year.