The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday welcomed the inauguration of an insulated, all-year-round indoor Air Rifle and Air Pistol shooting range at the newly built Sports Complex of the Ladakh Police in Leh, describing it as an important step towards expanding the sport in the Union Territory.
The facility, established by the Ladakh Shooting Association (LSA) in collaboration with the Ladakh Police, was inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Shri V.K. Saxena, in August.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary, Ladakh, Shri Ashish Kundra; DGP Ladakh, Shri Anant Jain; NRAI Vice President Shri K. Sultan Singh; President, Ladakh Shooting Association, Shri Gawa Norboo; and other senior officials and dignitaries.
The indoor facility will allow shooters to train throughout the year despite Ladakh’s challenging weather conditions. It will be accessible to students, members of the public and police personnel, helping broaden participation and create opportunities for talent identification.
Welcoming the development, NRAI President Shri Kalikesh Singh Deo said the facility would play an important role in taking shooting sport to the grassroots in Ladakh and creating a pathway for local talent to progress into competitive shooting.
He said, “The inauguration of this indoor shooting range marks an important milestone in the development of shooting sport in Ladakh. Our objective at the NRAI is to ensure that young talent across India has access to the facilities and opportunities required to take up the sport and progress competitively. Ladakh presents its own unique geographical and climatic challenges, and an all-year-round facility like this can make a meaningful difference. We are grateful to the Lieutenant Governor, the UT Government, Ladakh Police and the Ladakh Shooting Association for their commitment to developing shooting in the region. We look forward to seeing more young shooters from Ladakh emerge through this initiative.”
The Lieutenant Governor welcomed the initiative and stressed the importance of sporting facilities that can remain operational throughout the year. He also announced the UT Government’s support for developing additional shooting ranges in other districts and locations across Ladakh.
NRAI Secretary General Shri Pawankumar Singh said the facility would help increase participation and identify talent from the region.
“This is an important beginning for shooting sport in Ladakh. For any sporting ecosystem to grow, access is fundamental, and this facility provides that access in a structured and sustainable manner. Opening the range to students, the public and police personnel will help introduce more people to the sport while creating a larger pool from which talent can be identified. With continued support from the UT Government and the Ladakh Shooting Association, we are confident that this initiative can develop into a strong shooting ecosystem across Ladakh,” he stated.
The LSA and Ladakh Police will oversee the operations of the facility and facilitate its use for training and participation.
The range is expected to provide aspiring shooters in Leh with an opportunity to train locally, reducing the need to travel outside the UT for basic training facilities.
The NRAI has been working to expand shooting sport beyond established centres and strengthen the grassroots ecosystem across the country. The Leh facility is in line with that objective and could serve as the foundation for a wider network of shooting ranges across Ladakh.
With the UT Government expressing its intent to support the establishment of more such facilities, the initiative is expected to help bring more athletes from the region into the national shooting sports pathway.
