The NSSA sport shooting range, which was inaugurated at the long delayed MDSC, Dimapur, on December 3. (Morung Photo)
NSSA says it is Olympic standard
Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 3
Even as the ambitious Multi Disciplinary Sports Complex in Dimapur remains in cold storage, a sport shooting range has found room in the long delayed sports complex. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio inaugurated the range, on December 3, which will be run under the aegis of the Nagaland Shooting Sports Association (NSSA).
The CM said that the range will be named after the late Temjen Toy, former Nagaland Chief Secretary, who passed away in January 2021. He dedicated the facility to the grooming of young shooters under the guidance of the NSSA.
According to him, the NSSA has able office bearers under whose guidance sport shooting has potential to grow in Nagaland. While sports in general demands discipline and physical fitness, he added that shooting is an altogether different game that demands extreme discipline and calmness, a sport where “even your breathing would affect how you shoot.” The shooter has to be in control of emotions, he added.
Nagaland has a tradition of gun-keeping with the people taking pride in owning guns, but he said that this culture is different from shooting competition. While admitting to the lack of proper sport infrastructure in the state, he added, “We have raw talent but it has to be moulded so that we can come to level of competing.”
DGP, Nagaland, T John Longkumer, who is the honourary President of the NSSA expressed optimism that sport shooting will take off in a big way in Nagaland. “We are in the process of setting the roots, upon which shooters can stand on,” he said. While informing that the range was built as per Olympic specifications, he added the electronic score board will be added soon.
Currently, he said that 11 district associations and as many as 23 rifle shooting clubs are affiliated to the NSSA. He said that the range was envisioned to serve as a nursery for shooting as a sport. “The NSSA needed inspiration and the first person was the late Temjen Toy. He was instrumental in founding the NSSA. He showed us the way,” he said, while regarding the CM as another inspirational figure behind the establishing of the association.
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