Indoor rifle shooting range comes up in Kothagudem

Speaking to Telangana Today, the district sports and youth services officer, M Parandhama Reddy informed that trial runs are being carried out at present at the 10 metre shooting range. The shooting range is likely to be inaugurated in a week’s time after the trial runs are over.

Kothagudem: An indoor rifle shooting range is set to become functional in Kothagudem district headquarters soon.

The district sports and youth services department has set up the shooting range on the premises of Sri Ramachandra Government Degree College at Palakendram area. It was established with Rs 3.5 lakh funds sanctioned by the district Collector Jitesh V Patil. Speaking to Telangana Today, the district sports and youth services officer, M Parandhama Reddy informed that trial runs are being carried out at present at the 10 metre shooting range. The shooting range is likely to be inaugurated in a week’s time after the trial runs are over.

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Enrollments for joining the shooting coaching are going on and priority would be given to students. As of now around 25 students enrolled and it is planned to enroll 40 to 50 persons for the training. It is planned to select five boys and five girls to train them for the state level events.

A national level player and two time gold medalist Mohammed Abdul Nabi would act as the coach, Parandhama Reddy said while thanking the Collector Patil for his immediate response and sanctioning funds for setting up the shooting range.

The coach Abdul Nabi, who hails from Kothagudem and previously worked as internal security officer in Taj Group of Hotels in Hyderabad, informed that the range is equipped with two air pistols and two air rifles as well as four target machines. All safety measures are in place.

There are around seven shooting ranges in Telangana and most of them are located in Hyderabad and surrounding districts. Kothagudem shooting range is the first one to be set up in remote districts like Kothagudem.

There are plans to increase the number of ranges in future to promote and take the sport to the doorsteps of enthusiasts. The selection of trainees would be based on their fitness levels and interest in the sport. There is no age restriction for enrolment and the entry level age would be 11 years.He appealed to the authorities of colleges in the district to encourage their students to join the shooting training. Those who win medals could avail reservation in sport quota, said Abdul Nabi, who secured post graduate admission in Osmania University in sport quota.

The main objective of setting the shooting range is to create as many expert shooters as possible to participate in inter-university events and make them win medals, the coach added.