New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) As the excitement for the inaugural Shooting League of India (SLI), launched by the NRAI, is already building across the country. Indian rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan, who made headlines after securing the bronze medal at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, expressed her delight at the announcement of SLI.

The inaugural season of the SLI will have a window between November 20 and December 2. The tournament will feature mixed team events in pistol (10m, 25m), rifle (10m, 50m 3 positions), and shotgun (Trap & Skeet), as decided by the NRAI Technical Committee.

A total of six to eight teams will feature in the competition and will be divided into two pools in the league stage. The selected players will be grouped into four tiers – Elite Champions, World Elite, National Champions, and Junior & Youth Championships – to provide a blend of experienced and emerging talents.

“It is a game-changing moment because this is something that is happening for the first time in our sport and I am really looking forward to it. I am sure every athlete out there would be excited about the league,” said Elavenil, who set a new national qualification record, with a score of 635.9.

“The level of competition (in the league) is going to be very high and that would help us when we are unitedly competing against the other nations. This is going to be a really competitive environment and a good push to all the athletes,” she added.

Talking about the participation of overseas athletes, Elavenil said, “I have always been looking forward to learning from other athletes and this would be a great chance to incorporate what the other athletes have been doing. Being in one team, you would be able to share those ideologies easier. The younger athletes, the new athletes would definitely get to learn a lot from the senior athletes. Even I am looking forward to learn from all the other athletes”

The two-time Olympian feels that SLI will provide a massive boost to the sport and will help shooting get more recognition.

“The league is definitely going to give a huge boost to shooting as a sport in the common public. When the league portrays the actual setup of the sport, I think it would be easier for the public to relate to the sport and hopefully more athletes will be taking up the sport professionally,” she said.

“As it is going to be on such a wide scale and we are going to have foreign athletes in the team, so, I think this will definitely reach more to the young kids who are looking forward to the sport, to learn the sport, to get to know about it,” she concluded.

–IANS

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