Latest news with #KalikeshNarayanSinghDeo
New Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
With Shooting League of India, ISSF ready to embrace attention
Over 70 shooters from around 20 countries, and around 500 domestic shooters have applied for the auction, for which a date is yet to be confirmed. "The Indian league (SLI) is really important also because it gives great attention and equal representation to men and women. I hope that this will be great chance for the athletes to receive attention from TV. It is time that the game opens to the world and we are ready to receive the attention," Rossi added. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, president of the National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) emphasised on how technology could bridge the gap between the sport and the audiences. "New camera angles and biofeedback can be brought in to bring more excitement to the game as well as a better understanding of what the athlete is going through. When they are pulling that trigger and hitting that shot and the joys or the disappointments felt by them and they miss the goal by just the width of one breath," he said. With regards to the format, Kalikesh said that the league will try to keep it to the purest form of the game. "We also understand the pressures and the pulls of the current market of audiences. We are in advanced talks with some sponsors and broadcasters. We are also looking at esports as a key component to the league," he said.
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
NRAI president: Not to make an attempt with SLI would be a crime
Even as an 11-year-old top sporting league gasps under the crushing weight of a failing contractual framework and another can't pay salaries months after its conclusion, a new entrant steps into the fray — the Shooting League of India. Bold, new, and ready to take its first shot in New Delhi on November 20, the 11-day competition is the latest to elbow its way into an already saturated landscape of homegrown leagues. However, its backers are undeterred. In fact, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, the president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), calls it an 'exciting adventure'. Sportstar sat down with the man fronting the federation's newest gamble to understand whether the NRAI is truly ready to harness this fresh wave. Q: The Indian Premier League in cricket has kind of marked a pathway that is seeing sporting leagues from our country mushrooming on a global scale. In a competitive market, what novel things does the SLI have to offer to spectators? A. With the massively growing popularity of shooting within India, where for every competition you have 10,000–20,000 people participating across the spectrum, this is an opportune time for the league to come in. This is a first-of-its-kind effort which introduces a new and exciting format. It will also potentially transgress to go across to people who have been a part of shooting in different ways. Do you remember the first toy you got as a child? A lot of us got small guns to play with, right? So, shooting has been an endemic part of people's childhood in many ways — through movies, video games, and in some cases, the sport itself. We have picked a mixed-team format, and to begin with, we are looking to have anywhere from four to eight franchises. And we have, out of a team of 12, a maximum of four foreign athletes and a minimum of two junior athletes, keeping in mind that we have to have an arena where juniors get a chance to play against the best in the world on home ground. You'll be happy to know that more than 60–70 international athletes have already registered to be a part of the auction. And from the domestic circuit, there are more than 400 athletes who have registered. There's an exciting adventure ahead of us. You claim this league to be a first, but then there are competitions like the Bundesliga in Germany, which are known to be very competitive. How different or similar is the SLI when compared to these leagues or foreign domestic competitions? Have you been inspired by any of them? The Bundesliga is completely based on the typical Olympic format of shooting. There, you shoot your qualifications. SLI only picked the finals format of competitions. The franchises get to choose their teams through auctions, and you go in for a quick 25–30-minute match to move up the ladder. SLI will reel in audiences who may relate to gaming and other aspects of esports as well. I feel there will be an exciting blend, and we can actually get a lot of eyeballs. And lastly, of course, it's got a space in the calendar of the ISSF, so some of the best shooters in the world would be participating in the auction. Since you spoke about the 'other aspects', the SLI FAQ document states: Why join SLI? It will provide a pathway to the future: A hybrid model integrating traditional shooting events with virtual competitions. It also mentions esports integration. Could you elaborate on this? We are talking to technology partners who can integrate some sort of virtual aspect of the shooting sport into our league. Whether it forms the mainstay of the league or not is yet to be decided, but certainly the idea is to capture audiences beyond the traditional shooting viewership, so we are looking at innovation which bridges that gap. Let's not forget you may have 1 lakh shooters registered in India; you will have maybe 100 crore who are gaming and stuff like that. While on that topic, shooting has never been a spectator-friendly sport. It's not as dynamic as most other disciplines. So, for social media and TV, is there a separate, snappier plan to draw in viewers? We've got to make broadcast strategies that are more exciting. When we're looking at innovation, we will look at different things the audience can relate to, graphics like the pressure on the shooter, the release of the trigger, and the mannerisms of an athlete. There is going to be data, graphics, VR, feedback from the shooters, biorhythms and all of that. What will happen because of that is the audience will feel that he or she is the shooter. And he or she can understand and feel the excitement of performing. Couple that with the loyalty they would have with a shooter or a team over the years, and it would get increasingly exciting. And while all of these are on the drawing board, the idea is not to take away from the purity of the Olympic sport as well. So, for a shooter, we do not want to disturb his or her rhythm in shooting in competitive sports. The viewership of Olympic sports is on the rise. However, the recent revival of another sporting league faced financial roadblocks within a few months. Has it ever been considered that the NRAI might be taking too big a risk with this league? To get somewhere, we have to start the journey. I think not to make an attempt would be a crime. In my opinion, leagues go into a downward spiral when you take an opposition view to your stakeholders, be it the athletes or the franchises. As far as NRAI is concerned, we've decided that we will take a view of a partnership with our franchises and our athletes. That's a win-win for everybody. We are not looking to bring their money in on the first day. We have to work with our franchises and athletes to ensure better visibility. We need to give a financial platform for the sustainability of our athletes. There's no reason why our shooting stars, who go and win medals at the Olympics, shouldn't be as big as any cricketer in India. SLI plans to be that one platform that will make brands out of them going ahead. We believe we will create something different with a reasonable amount of value. We are not setting our expectations so high that we destroy the value to begin with. What is it like to have Elena Norman on board as the CEO? She has had a successful stint with a different sporting federation... Elena is a great girl. She's been involved with sports for many years, and she's seen and built the hockey league. And she's also, you know, professionalised the Indian hockey federation. I think there are a lot of good things that she puts on the table. We're lucky to have her start the league off. Could you share some details about the owners of the franchises? The prospectus mentioned at least six franchises, but earlier in the interaction, we heard you say that the number was four. Has it been difficult to get people on board? We've launched the league a month and a half ago, so let's give it time. But no, it's not been difficult to get conversations going. We have positive talks going on with a number of potential franchise owners. Some of them own many teams across other sports, while some are individual new buyers but command a lot of credibility. In the future, will you be looking at multiple venues or will it become a logistical nightmare? No, it's very much possible. Currently in our nation, there are 15,000 people who shoot across three major venues. So, it's not a logistical nightmare in any way, but it does increase the cost for a franchise. So, we want to start with a lean model so that we make sure that the league becomes a success in the long run. The vision is long-term and not for a year or two before packing up and going home. We understand that we've got to work with the franchises to make it work in such a way that they break even as quickly as possible, while realising the value is not in the financial cash flow but more in the valuation of the asset that they will have going ahead. The NRAI elections are scheduled in September, and this league is happening after that. Is that going to interfere with the functioning of the league, or has there been any effort to postpone the elections, maybe? The elections will be held as per law. And I don't see any reason why the election should interfere with the league. We have kept the management and vendors of the league outside the NRAI format. And it's going to be done professionally. I'm certain whoever is in the seat of power at that point in time will carry on the work. Any sort of governance is always going to be continuous. We have heard that Gagan Narang was approached to be the face of the league, but he couldn't sign up owing to prior commitments. Are there other veteran shooters who have been approached for the same? We have asked all our past Olympians and shooting legends to be involved, be it as a mentor, technical specialist, or merely to give us suggestions. It's important that those who have contributed and gotten glory from the sport should give back to it in different ways. As a federation, it is our job to ensure that we open up avenues for them to be able to contribute, and I'm very hopeful that all of them would contribute in some way. Let's talk about the Junior and Youth Champions category now. It was said that there will be a talent scouting programme for the same. Who or which group is helping onboard these younger athletes and on what basis? The NRAI itself is doing some talent scouting based on our internal competitions. The others are the ones who have actually gone out and won competitions like the Junior World Cups for us. As you're aware, India is ranked No. 1 in the juniors section. In fact, we never know when an Olympian will be replaced by somebody from the junior category — that's just the way the shooting sport is. We've got enough of a bench strength to be able to pick, but once a franchise comes on board and has its technical team working with the federation, the efforts of NRAI would be amplified manifold. By July, the franchises were expected to provide a shortlist to the NRAI for the creation of an auction pool. Where are we with that? I think we're getting very close to signing on some franchises. The initial list of shooters has already been discussed with the potential franchisees. To conclude the interview, can you provide us with one exclusive information about the league? (Laughs) In 25-metre pistol, obviously we can't do rapid fire because women don't shoot rapid fire. So, we're doing a duelling stage, which is going to be the Olympic format after 2028. For 50m 3 positions, they will be shooting simultaneously. So, despite having one man and one woman in the team, there will have to be a third common shooter. It saves time. But we might have a relook now that the finals format has changed to just standing. More stories from this issue
India Gazette
10-07-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
India to host major international shooting events for the next three years
ANI 10 Jul 2025, 22:40 GMT+10 New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): India has been officially confirmed as the host nation for major international shooting competitions for the next three consecutive years, following the finalization of the ISSF's global calendar for 2027 and 2028. In a recent communique to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has confirmed that, India will host an ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in 2027 and they will host the ISSF Junior World Championship (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in 2028, according to the official website of NRAI. This further cements India's standing as a trusted and capable global destination for the sport of shooting. Adding to this momentum, India will also host the first-ever edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) this November, an ambitious and pioneering initiative to create a professional league platform for shooting athletes. NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo expressed his enthusiasm, 'With the LA Olympics as our target, hosting at least one international event every year leading up to it is a tremendous opportunity. It boosts senior athletes' preparation and gives juniors invaluable exposure to the atmosphere of elite competition at home. The launch of the Shooting League of India adds an exciting new dimension to our efforts. We are grateful to the ISSF for their trust, and we remain committed to making India a global hub for our beloved sport,' as quoted from a release by NRAI. NRAI Secretary General K. Sultan Singh added, 'This announcement is a testament to the confidence the ISSF places in the NRAI and India's ability to deliver world-class events. India is now a key stop on the global shooting calendar. I thank the Government of India, the Sports Ministry, the Sports Authority of India, and all our stakeholders for their unwavering support. The introduction of the Shooting League of India further underlines our vision for the sport's growth.' (ANI)
Economic Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Economic Times
India to host major international shooting events in next three years
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India has been officially confirmed as the host nation for major international shooting competitions for the next three consecutive years, following the finalization of the ISSF's global calendar for 2027 and 2028. In a recent communique to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has confirmed that, India will host an ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in 2027 and they will host the ISSF Junior World Championship (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in 2028, according to the official website of further cements India's standing as a trusted and capable global destination for the sport of to this momentum, India will also host the first-ever edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) this November, an ambitious and pioneering initiative to create a professional league platform for shooting President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo expressed his enthusiasm, "With the LA Olympics as our target, hosting at least one international event every year leading up to it is a tremendous opportunity. It boosts senior athletes' preparation and gives juniors invaluable exposure to the atmosphere of elite competition at home. The launch of the Shooting League of India adds an exciting new dimension to our efforts. We are grateful to the ISSF for their trust, and we remain committed to making India a global hub for our beloved sport," as quoted from a release by Secretary General K. Sultan Singh added, "This announcement is a testament to the confidence the ISSF places in the NRAI and India's ability to deliver world-class events. India is now a key stop on the global shooting calendar. I thank the Government of India, the Sports Ministry, the Sports Authority of India, and all our stakeholders for their unwavering support. The introduction of the Shooting League of India further underlines our vision for the sport's growth."
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
India to host major international shooting events in next three years
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India has been officially confirmed as the host nation for major international shooting competitions for the next three consecutive years, following the finalization of the ISSF's global calendar for 2027 and 2028. In a recent communique to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has confirmed that, India will host an ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in 2027 and they will host the ISSF Junior World Championship (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in 2028, according to the official website of further cements India's standing as a trusted and capable global destination for the sport of to this momentum, India will also host the first-ever edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) this November, an ambitious and pioneering initiative to create a professional league platform for shooting President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo expressed his enthusiasm, "With the LA Olympics as our target, hosting at least one international event every year leading up to it is a tremendous opportunity. It boosts senior athletes' preparation and gives juniors invaluable exposure to the atmosphere of elite competition at home. The launch of the Shooting League of India adds an exciting new dimension to our efforts. We are grateful to the ISSF for their trust, and we remain committed to making India a global hub for our beloved sport," as quoted from a release by Secretary General K. Sultan Singh added, "This announcement is a testament to the confidence the ISSF places in the NRAI and India's ability to deliver world-class events. India is now a key stop on the global shooting calendar. I thank the Government of India, the Sports Ministry, the Sports Authority of India, and all our stakeholders for their unwavering support. The introduction of the Shooting League of India further underlines our vision for the sport's growth."
