A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

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kb100
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A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

Post by kb100 » Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:10 pm

Here is our own "Chilly" Rajyavardhan Rathore's blog on the new 'selection' policies of NRAI!

Does make a powerful case - Could be the death-knell for shooting sports in India! :evil: :evil:

Comments and critiques pls...

Every professionally run sports federation must have a simple and transparent system of team selection that serves the aim of selecting a winning team. A good selection policy comforts the athlete by providing clear and justifiable benchmarks.

You would think such an important policy would be discussed among current top athletes’ coaches and experts on the sport, well not so in some cases, such as the NRAI.

Undue haste to pass flawed policy:

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) formulated a ‘New Selection Policy’ and put in into effect from 13th Mar 2010 after only 2 days of public scrutiny. Was this the intent of the policy makers or was it a mistake?

Most shooters were just too shocked and dumbstruck by the contents of this 16 page legally-worded policy that showed no understanding of the sport of shooting, to even react in the given time frame.

India has incredible depth in shooting – this policy was formulated without taking into confidence the wide array world-class shooters from rifle, pistol and shotgun. Two Olympic medalists, two World Champions, multi Asian Games Gold medalist, 3 world record holders and yet for the promulgation of a far reaching ‘new selection policy’ the NRAI consults none of the above.

But it was not just the shooters who were taken aback. This new policy was a surprise to many members of the governing body of the NRAI too, as reported in the TOI.

What are the flaws in ‘New Selection Policy?’

1] Disrupts training in a critical year:

For India, 2010 is a very important year because of Commonwealth Games Delhi. Every Indian shooter wants to deliver an outstanding performance in front of a ‘home crowd’. Tragically for shooters, the year has been a chain of fiascos that has now led up to the biggest one of all. It remains to be seen is whether the NRAI is willing to make amends and correct the policy by deliberations on it or will it stand by its flawed policy like a totalitarian regime.

2] Aggregate scoring system worse than school exams

The basic premise of the ‘new selection policy’ is to have a starting line (base line) score from whereon the aggregate scores will keep adding on – from the National Championships, trials I and trial II and for some, a different event score could be substituted for the trials.

The policy also does lip service to giving merit points for those winning top level competitions and an Olympic quota place. The aggregate points of each trial will add on through one calendar year against each shooter and finally the one that has higher aggregate gets selected to the team.

Sounds quite okay, you might think? Sounds more like a grading system for class eight students. Exam 1 + Exam 2 + an alternate exam substitute for marks. Deduction of marks if you question the system and whoever has the highest marks gets selected.

3] No level playing field for trials

For 2010, the base line scores taken by the NRAI are from trials that were held in Feb before the Policy was made. Why? Was it done to accommodate someone? Does this decision not create a condition of prejudice?

To stay above-board, shouldn’t the policy have been announced first and then a base line score be taken (if at all). To make matters worse, all shooters could not participate in the trial in Feb 2010. So some shooters had scores counted from the Commonwealth Championships which was 10 days apart.

In fact, it is on record that some shooters who had initially agreed to take part in the trials, pulled out hours before the trial to be tested later and they were allowed to do so by the NRAI.

Climatic conditions play a big part in shooting and bad conditions influence the game and thus, scores. Did the weather forecast have anything to do with it? It was cold cloudy and rainy that day.

So is this trial fit to be counted as baseline score? No! If the baseline is flawed, how can the outcome be considered valid?


4] No recognition for ‘winning form’ closer to big competitions

Why should this policy require aggregate scores through the year? How can a score shot in Feb 2010 be considered for team selection for an event that’s scheduled in October i.e. the Commonwealth Games?

This aggregate system is like a deficit system (and ironically the policy too calls it a deficit system). For example if a shooter has poor form at the start of the year, and hopes to get into the Indian team by June, he must first shoot a high score to fulfill the deficit score of Feb and still score higher than what others have scored in June.

Simply put, at the selection trials in Patiala scheduled from 18th Mar 2010, some shooters have to shoot just 160 targets out of 150 targets to make it to the Indian team, yes 160 out of 150.

5] Pruning shooters, or pruning India’s medal winning pool

This deficit scoring system further states that shooters are required to notch up the aggregate score to prevent being ‘pruned from the core group’ and losing any chance of even being a part of the selection process for the Commonwealth Games New Delhi 2010.

Even shooting a new world record of 150 out of 150 will not count as it does not fulfill the deficit of low form in the beginning of the year it has to be 160 out of 150. Is this a sane policy? Have these people ever played sport to understand that there are good days & bad days, periods of bad form and good form?

And why prune the list of probable from 6 shooters to 5? Countries like China are doubling the strength and depth of top shooters so that they have a world-class and large pool to choose in-form shooters before a competition?

Why are we axing a pool we have developed, seven months before the Commonwealth Games? Shouldn’t we have the full strength of our current core group available to us till it’s time to announce the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games 2010? As the host country, do we want to create a position of strength or dilute our chances even before the competition?

6] Discouraging younger talent

The new policy says, “At any point of time in a year the national pool of 12 shooters will be considered in each category and event for the National Team selection”. Its also mentioned that this pool will be selected from the National Championships. What this implies is that the difference between 12th and 13th may be in decimals but shooters from 13th onwards can pack their guns/rifles and wait for the next year.

Their hopes and desires all crumpled and their motivation down in the dumps. Meanwhile the top 12 shooters will continue training as they have competitions to look forward to and keep getting better with match practice. So probably the same people will retain the top 12 slots the next year too. The development of the sport of shooting could do with a little more foresight.

7] Flawed system of taking International scores

The system of taking international scores is flawed. Its well known in shooting circles that some ranges afford good sighting of targets and are thus high scoring ranges and then there are others that are low scoring ranges.

Competing and coming good in tough conditions should be applauded but instead will be penalized by taking into account the low score registered as the policy has dealt with the matter very mathematically. In some cases the last international score will be counted and thus even a one point margin score over your own team mate will be rewarded by a place in the team despite the high margin of lower score as compared to the same team mate at a just concluded competition of the same level.

8] Gross under utillisation of foreign coaches

We are paying thousands of dollars to our foreign coaches. They are specialists in leading sportspersons to high performances? Above all they are professionals who work closely with sportspersons, and can make a huge difference in physical and mental conditioning.

Yet the policy states: “role of foreign coaches is restricted to technical training only” Why prescribe such a limited role? Shouldn’t we be taking advantage of their ability to understand the sport and the sportsmen and thus play an important role in team selection. We don’t go to the best doctor and tell him what to do?

Opportunity wasted by NRAI

These are just a few of the drawbacks of the New Selection policy. It pains me to say there are many more but do not find a mention here since I am just driving home the point. The NRAI has wasted an opportunity to create a policy that would attract more people to the sport of shooting and encourage shooters.

Big match temperament cannot be mathematically calculated by the scores shot and added over the year like a school mark sheet but composite in the medals won under good and bad conditions and importantly, current form.

In India, sports federations are private societies. But since they represent India, their actions reflect the collective will of the country. How many sportspersons will suffer before someone recognizes the injustices being done under the garb of autonomy?

Let the sports federations work with sportspersons and not against us.

It’s not easy for a competing sportsman to talk and if I have spoken, I do hope people of India realize my deep anguish.

I appeal to the Sports Minister of India and the fair minded souls of NRAI to immediately withdraw the flawed ‘new selection policy’ and open it up for deliberations transparently before the sport of shooting is irreversibly damaged.
SOURCE - http://chillyrathore.blogspot.com/
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Re: A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

Post by Anand » Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:37 pm

:cry: :roll: If this is the plight of those who have prooved themselves on a previous occasions and who bring our country laurels and accolades what chance do the rest of us have??

The lack of transparency in any activity is the cause of abuse, since there are no consequences to that action!

I hope this can be rectified and sorted out soon enough so we can still get do good in the forthcoming common wealth games.
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Re: A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

Post by MoA » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:39 pm

I think the selection criteria is too light.. they should definetely increase it to 200 out of 150 at the very least... :P

When has babudom, and vested interest ever shown any sense of fairness in India? Why does this surprise anyone, and didnt we discuss this policy when it came out? :cheers:

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Rathore to miss CWG after skipping trials

Post by reynoldmaben » Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:26 am

http://sports.in.msn.com/othersports/ar ... id=4327051

New Delhi: Athens Olympics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will not be a part of the Indian shooting team at the Commonwealth Games as he stands disqualified for selection after missing the trials.

It was not known why Rathore missed the trials, appearing in which was necessary to be considered for selection.

Leading shooters like Beijing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang, who has already booked a berth in the 2012 London Olympics, had all appeared in the three-day trials in Pune.

The national selection meeting will be held here tomorrow and Rathore, a double trap shooter, is sure to miss the cut.

"Since he did not turn up at the trials, he stands disqualified for selection. He has not spoken to us why he missed it," National Rifle Association of India secretary Rajeev Bhatia told PTI.

The NRAI had made it clear that only those shooters will be considered for selection who will appear in trials.

National coach Sunny Thomas said it was important for Rathore to put up a good show at trials since his average score in international event was not good enough.

"I also don't know why he did not come. His scores since February were not good and it was important for him to do well at trials and be eligible for selection," Thomas said.

Rathore, meanwhile, wrote on his twitter page about his missing the trails but did not give the reason.

"I am not taking part in trials, however my full support to team India," he tweeted in response to a good luck message.

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Re: A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

Post by Subal das » Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:49 am

http://www.indianshooting.com/index.php ... tom_id=685

Rathore misses CWG cut, lashes out at NRAI selection policy

31 Aug 2010. India's first Olympic silver medallist double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Tuesday lashed out at the "vindictive attitude" of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) after pulling out of the last day's trials to select the Commonwealth Games shooting squad.

Rajyavardhan Rathore

Rathore was disqualified after he skipped the trials saying that he had no option but to pull out after the way the NRAI hounded him and some other shooters. "I think, as sportsmen, we all go through the adversities created by our sports officials some time or the other. But the whole atmosphere of vindictiveness, created by the sports administrators did not leave me or some of the other shooters with a positive frame of mind to overcome the odds stacked up," Rathore told IANS.

Rathore was highly critical of NRAI's selection policy which came in for similar criticism from Beijing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and world No.5 double trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi.

Rathore said: "Our previous selection policy was that selection trials are held for competitions in the forthcoming two months calender (and if someone has won a medal in the immediate past or had an exceptional performance then he is excused from trials, if he so desires with the permission of the federation). Hence after taking 2009 off, I planned to start training by January 2010 and be in form by June for World Championships.

"However in March, we got stumped by the NRAI when it announced a new selection policy. The new policy was to follow a system of adding up all scores shot by shooters and averaging them out. The highest aggregate gets selected."

Rathore went on to add that the policy was implemented in March but scores were retrospectively taken from previous months like February, giving rise to prejudice and bias.

"Scores shot by Indian shooters abroad in different (mostly better) conditions were to be compared to scores shot in humid, hot and windy conditions prevailing in the summer months in India. Taken by surprise, since I was not in form in early 2010, I was left with a huge score deficit to fulfill in the latter selection trials in Indian conditions," he said.

Rathore said the rifle and pistol shooters too were made to follow the same policy, though it was amended for them, but not for shot-gunners. "So we had a situation, one federation but different selection policies. Again, revealing bias. The policy laid down some grace marks for Olympic and World Championship medallist but decided that 2004 Olympics being in distant past did not warrant grace marks. As if the experience is limited by four-year life cycle of each Olympics," he said.

"Its now interesting to hear the officials say that the matter was never brought up to their notice, was it not, really! I have tried to maintain as positive an attitude as is possible. I do believe there is a higher good for me despite these troubles. I know the strength of the Indian shooting team and hence am looking confidently at all those selected to win at the Commonwealth Games," he said.
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Re: A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

Post by thomast1 » Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:19 pm

cant really say if it is right or wrong! but one thing is a fact!, its the guy in Form!. life time average can make the greatest in field to look a normal, especially in single events. but do they protray the right info??

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Re: A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

Post by captrakshitsharma » Wed Sep 01, 2010 3:42 pm

Today's reports by TOI on Chilly and The Big Bore rifles being not available to shooters is best example of NRAI doing what they do best.... NOTHING... They have since time immemorial been useless and instead of promoting the sport of shooting and making gun ownership and shooting sport easier to masses just want to maintain a tight grip on all aspects of sport . If they can treat celebrity shooters this way just imagine what a young talent has to face. All this leads to nothing but people loosing moral getting frustrated and give up the sport. While NRAI officials use and abuse the system to their fullest playing politics using nonsense authority to satisfy their ego, building guest houses and favor their friends or blue eyed shooters in acquiring sporting rifles and ammo.

This is not the only problem the shooter and the sport face . They endure further pain and suffering due to a rift between SAI and NRAI.Big bore shooters still dont have their rifles, thanks to SAI ,god only knows how and what they will practice with. To expect a good score and performance would be a miracle.It is a National Disgrace.People like Chilly, Bindra, Bhagwat ,Samant,Narang,Sodhi brothers and numerous others have come up with their own efforts ,hard work and money invested in the sport.The NRAI adopts and claims them as their own property after they win a big event and get acclaim.The most recent example of this was Pride of the Nation" Miss Samant";whom after her medal win even the Maharashthra government woke up wants to claim her as their own and appease her by allotting her a flat in Mumbai. The NRAI and SAI 's pathetic attitudes ,working culture and lack of support to shooters and absolute disinterest in promoting the sport itself also means that affluent people only can afford the sport (nothing against them atleast somebody is adopting and patronizing the sport)and leaves very little hope for people with mediocre or the not so affluent strata of the society.The reason why all the young talent is doing better and adopting the Air Rifle discipline is that the Equipment and ammo are easier to procure and cheaper than the Equipment for Trap,Skeet or Rifle/Pistol both big and small bore.This problem is compounded by our Draconian Gun Laws and Import Policy's Blanket ban on any import of firearms.This situation can also be improved and Sporting Guns can be imported and procured by both NRAI and SAI but sad as it is they have again proved to be useless and have only been ineffective at best and have taken no actions to help the situation.If they can't procure the Rifles for a big and important event like the CWG for the national shooting team we can expect nothing from them. I feel disgusted and ashamed as a citizen of this country and loose all respect for our Sporting Authorities, Administrative Civil Service and so called Civil Servants and the Politicians and the entire political system. Heads should be rolling and people should be loosing jobs.

Not once has the NRAI even voiced a concern or tried to protect the Gun Owners Right that the proposed New Ammendments to the Arms policy. They should be ashamed of themselves that gun owners had to start a Movement like NAGRI which is doing a wonderful job and service and is doing what they should had been doing and is their moral responsibility.I believe NAGRI is what NRAI should have been Open, supportive , no nonsense , humble , disperses fair unbiased information quickly and efficently and most importantly takes prompt and sincere actions when it comes to Gun Rights and sport of shooting.

The NRAI should be revamped or axed as its doing no good to the cause of neither Gun owners nor the Sport. Alternatively we can give up the sport and all gunowners should give up their guns and lets stop participating in any shooting sports and events.The NRAI is detrimental to the cause of the sport and is only bringing it down. They have either forgotten their role and reason for existence or are being run by people who are in the respective positions through clout or favors or just dont care or understand the sport and role of association.The NRA in USA fight for Sport and rights of Gun Owner. The NRAI fights for things that belittle the purpose of the organization. Will they learn ? I Seriously doubt. Maybe with the sheer power of numbers which our supposed democracy understands we can work towards increasing membership of NAGRI and represent our collective voice and maybe one day NAGRI will be a powerful government recognized body parallel to the NRAI. I hope and pray and do my bit..Hoping so will others... Amen...
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Re: A Cry of Despair - Rajyavardhan Rathore

Post by shooter » Wed Sep 01, 2010 4:06 pm

I think NRAI is doing a wonderful job of promoting youngsters.

First they drop Bindra, now rathore.

I think they want to drop all oldies and give young ones a chance. :twisted:
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