Jaspal Rana, the coach of shooter Manu Bhaker, who created history by winning two medals in the Paris Olympics, has put the national federation on edge. Rana has criticized the ever-changing Olympic selection policy, saying it has cost some promising talent in the past and warned that it will continue to do so in the future if not reformed.
Jaspal Rana, who won three gold medals at the 2006 Asian Games, criticized the National Rifle Association of India’s tendency to change policies at the last minute. He said that the selection policy of the shooting federation changes every six months. I met the sports minister and spoke to him about this. Let them decide, they decide whether it is right or wrong, we don’t discuss it and then stick to it. After this, the difference in the performance of the shooters will be seen.
Selection criteria changed for the Olympics
Many talented shooters like Saurabh Chaudhary, the only athlete to reach the 10m air pistol final at the Tokyo Olympics, and Asian Games gold medalist pistol shooter Jitu Rai, have faded within a few years. Rana said, “Where is Saurabh Chaudhary, where is Jitu Rai? Does anyone talk about them? No. We are talking about 10m air rifle shooter Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth in Paris. He narrowly missed out on a medal. Is anyone taking care of them?”
The NRAI revised the selection criteria in 2021 after not winning a medal since the Rio Olympics and Tokyo Olympics. It drastically reduced the bonus points awarded to shooters who qualified within the quota and introduced tests for team selection after a long gap. Rana said, “I am not against change but it is important to maintain more consistency during the Olympic cycle.”
