India’s top shooters, who were unhappy with the unhygienic rooms provided to them for the National camp ahead of the Cairo World Cup, got a welcome relief on Monday with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) allocating them accommodation at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range (KSSR) in Tughlakabad, Delhi.
"We have given them an option to move to the shooting range. Around 15 of them have checked in," NRAI sources told TOI.
TOI had highlighted the plight of the shooters recently following complaints about the hygiene and quality of food at their hotel rooms in Faridabad. NRAI had accommodated 88 campers in two hotels. The official version was that the federation couldn't find good hotels as most of them were full due to the ongoing Surajkund Mela.
Asked why the rooms at the range were not booked in the first place, NRAI sources said: "We wanted all the shooters in one place to ensure discipline among the campers. Moreover, it was not possible to accommodate all 88 at the range.”
With the shooters plight out in public domain, officials went into damage-control mode on Sunday.
"The news was out despite a written undertaking from the shooters that they should not interact with the media. The authorities held online meetings with the shooters, following which it was decided to accommodate them at the shooting range. SAI officials also received a video from the campers which came as a reality check," sources told TOI.
Following TOI’s report, the officials first went into denial mode.
"They even asked the shooters and coaches to tweet saying that there was absolutely no problem for the campers. While some of them obliged, most ignored the diktat," sources added.
The Indian contingent will leave for Cairo in two batches.
"The first batch will leave on February 15 and the second on February 17," an NRAI official said.
