New Delhi, Aug. 31: India’s first Olympic silver medallist double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore on Tuesday lashed out at the vindictive attitude of the National Rifle Association of India after pulling out of the last day’s trials to select the Commonwealth Games shooting squad.
Rathore was disqualified after he skipped the trials saying that he had no option but to pull out after the way the NRAI hounded him.
Rathore said: “Our previous selection policy was that selection trials are held for competitions in the forthcoming two months calender (and if someone has won a medal in the immediate past or had an exceptional performance then he is excused from trials, if he so desires with the permission of the federation). Hence after taking 2009 off, I planned to start training by January 2010 and be in form by June for World Championships. However in March, we got stumped by the NRAI when it announced a new selection policy. Scores shot by Indian shooters abroad in different (mostly better) conditions were to be compared to scores shot in humid, hot and windy conditions prevailing in the summer months in India. Taken by surprise, since I was not in form in early 2010, I was left with a huge score deficit to fulfill in the latter selection trials in Indian conditions,” he said.
“The policy laid down some grace marks for Olympic and World Championship medallists but decided that 2004 Olympics being in distant past did not warrant grace marks. As if the experience is limited by four-year life cycle of each Olympics,” he said.
Meanwhile, World No.1 pugilist Vijender Singh voiced his disappointment at the selection process to pick the CWG boxing squad. “I am not satisfied with the way trials were held. Boxers were not even told their scores,” the middleweight 75kg boxer said on Tuesday.
Vijender said among those who were not picked despite fine shows include his cousin Balwinder Beniwal (64kg), a Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist, and reigning national champion Sunil Kumar (49kg), who also happens to be a former Commonwealth champion.