New Delhi: The upcoming combined shooting World Cup here was postponed Friday, while an Olympic test event in Tokyo stood cancelled due to the global coronavirus outbreak.
The tournament, sanctioned by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), was to be held March 15 to 25 in the national capital’s Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. The Olympic Test event was scheduled start April 16.
“The tournament in Delhi will now be held in two parts before the Olympic Games. Dates for the events will be announced shortly,: a National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) official said.
The decision comes after the government imposed several restrictions on the entry of travellers from affected countries such as China, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Iran, in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
In all, 22 countries had pulled out of the event, a NRAI source said. “While 22 was the last count till Thursday night, some counties who had withdrawn, have also reapplied for visas,” the source informed.
The government’s list of guidelines also states that the visa of all foreign nationals, who have visited the affected countries in the year 2020 and have not yet landed in India, will be cancelled. The Delhi event was to be a combined World Cup for rifle/pistol and shotgun shooters.
PTI