Pakistan flag at shooting range despite visa refusal

The Pakistan flag at the Karni Singh Shooting Range yesterday

Despite tensions rising following the brutal killing of 40 CRPF jawans by terrorists in Pulwama recently, organisers of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup here are prepared to receive a two-member team from Pakistan for the eight-day event which got underway at the Karni Singh Shooting Range yesterday.

It was reported yesterday that the Pakistani shooters were denied visas by the Indian government. However, last morning, a Pakistani national flag was still installed alongside the flags of the other participating nations. "We are a very obedient federation. We only comply if there are any orders from the government. Before this unfortunate incident [Pulwama attack], we had already sent invitations to numerous federations.

"It is up to the [Indian] government to issue visas [to the Pakistanis]. They [Pakistanis] were supposed to arrive today and we had made all the arrangements. We are open to [receiving] them as the government has not yet asked us to stop them," said DV Seetharama Rao, Organising Secretary of World Cup. Meanwhile, the Pakistan shooting federation has written to ISSF asking it to drop the two 25m rapid fire pistol quotas for 2020 Olympics, in this competition, a National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) official said.

Both ISSF president Vladimir Lisin and secretary general Alexander Ratner are here for the event. While Lisin could take up the matter with Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Ratner said the decision to allot quota places depend on the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The ISSF in a statement said:

"The ISSF and Organising Committee of the competition are taking all efforts to solve the situation to avoid the discrimination of the Pakistani team. The ISSF and the Organising Committee are discussing the possible consequences for India as a host country for future international competitions, in all sports."

With inputs from PTI

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