UNION MINISTER for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, at the 75th anniversary of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) launced the NRAI Athlete App and announced a nationwide grassroots initiative aimed at introducing 7,50,000 new school and college students to shooting before the 2028 Olympics through a hands-on ‘10-shot experience’.
The event also continued to build momentum for the Shooting League of India (SLI), further underlining Indian shooting’s ambitious roadmap for the future. As part of the celebrations, NRAI unveiled its special 75-year commemorative logo, symbolising seven and a half decades of excellence, discipline, and achievement in Indian shooting, a media release said.
The programme will be rolled out across multiple states and districts in collaboration with institutions such as Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), universities, school boards, and State Associations. The initiative is designed to create awareness and participation at the grassroots level, helping identify and inspire the next generation of Indian shooters.
The occasion also saw the official launch of the NRAI Athlete App, a transformative digital platform that positions NRAI as India’s first fully digitised sports federation. The app will serve as a one-stop ecosystem for athlete management—from onboarding and registering 7,50,000 youth participants under the federation’s grassroots programme, to issuing certificates, maintaining records, and monitoring the performances of India’s elite and international shooters, the release added.
Present at the event were also some of the top Indian shooters, both current and former, including star pistol shooter and two-time Olympic medallist, Manu Bhaker. Speaking at the event, she said, “The NRAI has played a huge role in shaping Indian shooting over the last 75 years, and I’m proud to be part of this journey. Initiatives like introducing 7,50,000 young students to the sport and launching the Athlete App show that Indian shooting is thinking boldly for the future. The more accessible we make the sport at the grassroots level, the stronger our talent pipeline will become. I’m excited to see how these efforts inspire the next generation of champions.”
