Decision made in best interest of everyone: Rijiju over NRAI President's support to banned shooters

New Delhi [India], February 8 (ANI): Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju is happy with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Raninder Singh's announcement about persuading the General Body of the National Federation to stay the recent decision taken by the Governing Body to ban certain shooters from the next Nationals for disciplinary reasons.
Rijiju also said that it is a decision made in the best interest of everyone concerned.
"Happy to note that @OfficialNRAI President @RaninderSingh has assured shooters and their parents that he would persuade the NRAI General Body to not implement the ban imposed on the athletes by it's Governing Body. It's a decision made in the best interest of everyone concerned," Rijiju tweeted.
Earlier in the day, NRAI President announced that he would be persuading the General Body of the National Federation, scheduled to meet on March 5.
Invoking powers vested on him as President, Raninder, in a statement, said: "It has always been our endeavor to act in the best interests of our Sport and our Shooters. As such, no one is as pained as us when at times severe action is needed to be taken on anyone belonging to the Shooting fraternity, most of all, on our dear shooters."
"I received several requests from the parents and the affected Shooters themselves on the recent decision taken by the Governing Body. As such I have decided to refer the decision to the General Body, scheduled to meet early next month, and persuade them to not implement the said decision. However, this will certainly be a one-off, and any such disciplinary breach, will not be tolerated in the future," he added.
In a meeting held last week, the Governing Body of the NRAI had banned as many as 15 Shooters from taking part in the next Nationals, for breach of discipline.
They were: Sriharsha R. Devaraddi, Keshav Sharma, Vikram Singh Bhati, Imroz Ahmed, Pratyush Aman Barik, Yashaswini Singh Deswal, Tarun Kumar Dahiya, Meenal Yadav, Tejpreet Kaur Oberoi, Dilpreet Singh, Rajeev Ranjan, Visnu Shivraj Pandian, Krishan Kumar, Jyothi H Sannakki, and Ishank Ahuja. (ANI)