MUMBAI: The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has signed a deal with Sony Pictures Network India to broadcast the World Cup, according to the Press Trust of India. The sport of shooting will have live television coverage of the World Cup Rifle/Pistol at Dr Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad from 20-28 February 2019.
The Indian shooting will have a great opportunity to project its bright image, with assured high-quality live television coverage of the tournament. Even though shooters from around the world will be eyeing the 16 Olympic quota places on offer, in eight events for men and women, for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it will be an ideal platform for the Indian shooters to show case their class and strike power.
“Sony will be covering the World Cup. Doordarshan will also broadcast. Since the World Cup is an ISSF event, the world body has signed the deal with Sony Television not only for this World Cup but other World Cups as well,” The National Rifle Association of India president Raninder Singh said.
The sport of shooting which rarely gets broadcast support will be seen once again on the main-stream sports broadcast platform like Sony. Earlier India had conducted the Asian Olympic qualifying event before the Rio Olympics which was broadcasted live on Star Sports network in 2015-16.
“We are not taking any funds from the government for organising the event, and the ISSF is taking care of the production cost of the television coverage,” he said.
During the press conference, the NRAI president also declared that a lot of national shooting associations will be coming with their presidents to watch the World Cup, including the ones from Gautemala, Mexico and Russia. Singh said the range was getting ready to host the World Cup, especially with a nice setting in the final hall.
The NRAI president also expressed hope that in the long run, the national championships would have television coverage. He said there was considerable potential to take the sport forward as 7,000 athletes competed in the last national championships.
