Sport - Shooting

A boost for shooting

NEW DELHI: Acknowledging the efforts of Member of Parliament from Kurukshetra, Naveen Jindal, the Sports Ministry and the National Rifle Association of India, Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram has exempted the air weapons from levy of custom duty to facilitate the broad-basing of shooting as a sport and development of excellence at the international level. This would provide boost to the shooting discipline.

Speaking after the budget session, Mr. Jindal said: “First of all, I would like to thank Mr. P Chidambaram for taking a note of the need of the Indian shooters and then aptly rewarding them with exemption of air weapons from levy of custom duty in his budget speech. I am immensely grateful to the minister to have responded to my request and am confident that this decision is going to go a long way in promoting the sport of shooting and encourage the budding and present shooters of the country.”

“Shooting discipline in India is excelling. Nine shooters have already qualified to participate in the Beijing Olympics and I am sure that the sport is going to get an impetus with more and more people taking up the sport and making it more competitive at the state, national and international levels,” Mr. Jindal added.

Air guns and air pistols are primary training weapon used by the budding shooters to learn basic of shooting. As the domestic manufactures are not able meet required precision standards, most of the shooters prefer to import air rifles and air pistols. — Special Correspondent

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