SHILLONG: With the eye set on the 2022 National games, the shot fired by the Shooting Association of Meghalaya to find, train and prepare the young talents has hit the bull’s eye in the 5th North East Zone Shooting Championship 2017 that concluded on Thursday with over fifteen new records being set.
Manipur topped the medal tally with18 gold, 13 silver and 10 bronze followed by Assam with 16 gold, 11 silver, 6 bronze and Meghalaya with 6 gold, 7 silver and 9 bronze, Mizoram 5 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze and Nagaland and 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze, Services(Army) 2 gold, 1 silver 1 bronze. The competition, however, had no team categories and the medals were based on individual performance.
The competition was categorized into four categories – junior, youth, veteran and services. “With 2022 National games scheduled to be hosted by Meghalaya, this competition is also meant to spot young and promising talents to train and prepare them for the 2022 National Games,” said the publicity secretary of Shooting Association of Meghalaya (SAM), Nicholas J Nongkhlaw adding that the competition was organized to promote the target shooting sport in the state and the region as a whole to tap the young talents to take up shooting sport at a professional level.
New records were set in terms of the total point scored in a combination of series at different categories of competition, like Air pistol 10 meters, Standard Pistols 25 meters, centre fire pistol 25 meters and small bow rifle prone position 50 meters.
“It is a record turnout of shooters in the North East Zonal competition and more than 15 new records were created in this competition in different categories which only shows the immense talent the youths of the region possess,” said Nongkhlaw.
“Qualified score for national ranking can participate in the national level now,” Nongkhlaw added.
The shooting competition which got underway on July 15th witnessed national level shooters both Men and Women from the North East region battle it out for the top spot beside amateurs and veterans.