First NRAI coaches training course begins in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Monday inaugurated its National Coaches Course in Jamshedpur, marking a major step for the promotion of shooting sports in Jharkhand.

The week-long programme is being conducted at Hotel Alcor and is the first national-level coaches training course organized in the state since its formation in 2000.

A total of 33 coaches from five states—Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh—are participating in the intensive training programme. 

The initiative aims to strengthen coaching standards in rifle and pistol shooting and develop more qualified coaches at the grassroots level.

Participants will receive guidance from experienced NRAI faculty members on various aspects of the sport, including technical shooting skills, sports science, coaching techniques and communication methods. 

The programme is designed to equip coaches with the expertise required to mentor young athletes and help them perform better at national and international levels.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pawan Kumar Singh congratulated Diwakar Singh and the Jharkhand State Rifle Association (JSRA) for successfully hosting the course. 

He said bringing such initiatives to new regions plays a vital role in expanding the sport across the country.
Singh also thanked Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) for supporting the programme, which is being conducted without any participation fee for the coaches.

Highlighting NRAI’s future plans, he said the association intends to introduce an online learning system through which trained coaches will guide physical education teachers in schools on the basics of shooting and sports training.

He also announced a new initiative called “Shooting from the Table”, which will allow school students to practice air rifle or air pistol shooting using a simple table setup. 

The format aims to make shooting accessible to schools even with limited infrastructure. The course also comes ahead of NRAI completing 75 years of service to shooting sports in India on April 17. 

Associations across the country have been encouraged to organise competitions and training camps as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Expressing pride over hosting the programme, Diwakar Singh said the initiative will help local coaches gain professional knowledge and improve training standards for young shooters in Jharkhand.