The Indian shooting fraternity was provided a flicker of hope by England's Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, who said they were "exploring ways" to include the sport in the 2022 Commonwealth Games program, during a speech that combined pragmatism with optimism.
Crouch's address at the British Parliament's House of Commons was immediately "welcomed" by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Raninder Singh.
"We welcome the stand of the government in parliament and that we forward our sincere gratitude to Mr. Alister Jack DL, MP, Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL, MP, Dr. (Narinder) Batra and the Government of India in supporting the efforts of all the commonwealth shooting nations faced with this travesty," Raninder told PTI.
The development follows a sustained effort by the NRAI chief, as India managed to get cross party support of a substantial number in the House of Commons, seeking re-inclusion of shooting in Birmingham.
"With the continued support of all and under the aegis of the ISSF, we are now hopeful for an effective redressal of this dilemma."
"... However, we note that where there was darkness (and) we now can now see the first tender signs of light."
Sports Minister Crouch said: "The Government supports the notion of shooting being included."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content