ISSF aims for completion of all Tokyo 2020 qualification events
A final call will still have to be made before April 15, 2020.
To ensure ‘fairness and opportunities for all athletes to win Quota Places’ the Olympic shooting governing body hopes to keep their scheduled competitions on track, the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) said in a statement.
To that effect, the ISSF has confirmed that the ISSF World Cup in Delhi, which was originally slated to be held from March 15 onwards, has now been moved to May.
The rifle and pistol events will be held from May 5-13, while the shotgun category will see its proceedings held during May 20-29. The move was proposed by the Local Organising Committee of the event a week back.
Indian shooters deprived of practice
Led by ace shots like Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary, India’s shooting contingent secured as many as 15 Olympic quotas last year.
However, once in the Olympic year, the Indian shooters have had multiple opportunities to hone their craft and size up the competition taken away by the ongoing social circumstances.
After having had to pull out of the ISSF Shotgun World Cup scheduled to be held in Cyprus between March 4-13, due to coronavirus fears, India also cancelled its plans to carry out pre-Games training in South Korea.
ISSF’s effort to account for uncertainty
Keeping in mind the regular introduction of new measures by governments to counter the coronavirus pandemic and subsequently, the new directives that pop up as a result, the ISSF advised caution all the same.
“Many countries come up with new restrictions. That is why we request our member federations to be very careful with the booking of flights and making hotel reservations for the forthcoming events,” the ISSF said.
Chasing rank
Apart from the quotas awarded at the World Championships, World Cups and continental championships, one additional quota is available in each of the 12 individual events based on the world ranking.
The highest-ranked shooter in each event who fails to win a quota across all events, and whose nation is unable to secure a single quota, will be awarded a World Ranking Quota.
It is for this reason that all pre-Tokyo 2020 qualification events, such as the World Cup in New Delhi, are being planned.
The decision still hangs on the organisers and participants’ go-ahead, however, and for that, the ISSF has established a deadline of April 15 to decide the fate of the forthcoming World Cups and Continental Championships.