Munich Shooting: 8216;Govt paid for only CWG probables8217;

Junior shooter Rakesh Manpat said 15 shooters did not get government sanction for bearing the cost of the trip. Manpat said: Six shooters were picked for the pistol event. But only one got the government sanction. He came third.

He also said some selections for the sanction were random.

Meanwhile,National Rifle Association of India8217;s Vice President Sunny Thomas said not getting sanction was not the Federation8217;s fault. We had asked the government to foot the bill for all but sanction were given to only those who were in the core group of the Commonwealth Games8217; probables group.

BJP MP Sumitra Mahajan had raised this issue in the Lok Sabha on Friday at the Zero Hour. She had said players of the junior category were told by the Sports Ministry at the eleventh hour that they would have to go at their own cost as it had no funds.

She said it was strange that the government which has been spending crores of rupees on the Commonwealth Games had no money for players which had gone to Munich.

Mahajan said even now the government could reimburse the expenses of the 15 players.

She regretted that players are generally given a raw deal and are not provided the ammunition nor coaches for certain categories of shooting. She said one of the players,Gagan,who won bronze medal in pistol shooting,had not been provided with a coach or ammunition.

Tejaswini Sawant became the first Indian woman to win the gold medal in the 50 metre rifle event at the Championship,a feat which was recognised by Parliament. With agency inputs