Inaugural Shooting League of India moved to early next year

Mumbai, Oct 11 (PTI) The inaugural Shooting League of India has been rescheduled to early next year with National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), saying the decision has been taken to ensure it suits the athletes, prospective franchises, broadcast partners and it is in sync with the ISSF calendar.

The franchise-based Shooting League of India (SLI), which was scheduled from November 20 till December 2 this year, will now take place in early 2026 but no specific date has been given by the NRAI.

Early this year, NRAI had said the League, which is expected to have 6-8 franchise-based teams, had attracted over 400 athletes from more than 20 countries, including the USA, Germany, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, and Australia.

The NRAI said in a statement on Saturday that two franchises -- Delhi and Mumbai -- had been onboarded and the federation president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo had met the owners at a shooting range in Mumbai.

The rescheduling comes as a surprise given that shooters, especially the elite ones across the world, prepare their competition and ammunition & weapon testing schedule much in advance.

"The inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) is set to take place in early 2026, promising an even more spectacular and seamless experience for athletes, franchises, and fans. The schedule has been revised for better calendar alignment across International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), athletes, prospective franchises, and broadcast partners," NRAI said in an statement.

"While on a visit to Mumbai, NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo met with the Delhi and Mumbai franchise owners at the Worli Shooting Range in Mumbai and discussed team-building, athlete onboarding, marketing roll-outs, and venue readiness leading up to the SLI," the statement added.

"It was wonderful to meet the owners of our Mumbai and Delhi franchises. Everyone is excited to embark on this journey that will herald the future of Indian shooting...and we are confident it will lead in technological innovation and expand the sport's popularity even further," said Kalikesh.

The Delhi franchise team principal, Gaurav Agarwal, said: "Shooting has brought so much glory to India... I see no reason why India will not become a global shooting hub in the next 10–15 years. Our goal is to provide shooters with year-round access to ranges, quality training, and consistent support so they can excel at the national and international level." Mumbai Franchise co-owner Zahir Hawa said: "This is not a one- or two-year venture for us; we are looking at a 10-year horizon. We want to identify and nurture talent." The SLI has been conceptualised on the lines that the 6-8 teams will be split into two pools for the league stage.

The participants will be divided into four categories — Elite Champions, World Elite, National Champions, and Junior & Youth Champions — in an effort to balance top-level experience with emerging talent. PTI AM AM AT AT