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Vinayak Padmadeo
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 21
The selection trials of the women’s 10m Air Pistol event for the Asian Games were held ransom to the International Yoga Day celebrations here today.
The trials were delayed after the shooters who had gathered at the Karni Singh Shooting Ranges (KSSR) were told to first change into special Yoga Day T-shirts and pose for pictures.
According to a shooter, when KSSR administrator Manjushree Dayanand insisted on stopping the trials for the Yoga Day photo-op, she and Ronak Pandit, who is the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) observer for the rifle and pistol team, got into an argument.
“On seeing the shooters not in the yoga T-shirts, she started to shout as to why they had not changed into the special T-shirts,” said the shooter, who did not wish to be named. “That’s when Ronak intervened on behalf of the shooters and said that after the trials, the shooters would do that. But she insisted that it was an order everyone had to obey, as it was planned.”
“She was told that the shooters were ready to shoot after going through protocol, and that they follow their pre-match preparations and thus the trials should be allowed to finish first,” the source added. “And then she said ‘What if the match doesn’t start?’”
When reached for her side of the story, Manjushree Dayanand declined to comment, saying that she was not authorised to speak on the matter. Sports Authority of India (SAI) director general Neelam Kapoor, however, said that nobody was forced into doing yoga. “As far as we are concerned, the Yoga Day was observed and the federation (NRAI) was informed well in advance that we will be doing it. Whoever was there was asked to join, which was totally voluntarily,” she told The Tribune. “As far as we know, no practice or trial was disrupted (because of it).”
It did happen: Pandit
Pandit, however, confirmed that the shooters were inconvenienced because of Dayanand’s insistence on Yoga day celebrations.
“Yes, unfortunately it happened during the trials for the Asian Games. Instead of occupying the (shooting) lanes at 8AM as scheduled, top shooters were asked to change into special T-shirts for yoga pictures,” he said.
“We would have happily complied one hour later after the trials but unfortunately there is no regard or empathy for sportspersons and their performance,” he added. “These are the Asian Games trials we are talking about and they should not have been disturbed. The trials could only start by 9:15AM, though a few of the shooters had trooped in as early as 7AM.”
Heena tops trials
Heena Sidhu bagged the top billing in the delayed trials. The two-time Olympian shot a total of 576 during qualification, followed by 240.9 in the finals. Harveen Srao, who also shot 576 in qualification, finished second with 240.3 in the finals. Rahi Sarnobat was third.
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