India to skip Changwon World Cup in April due to Covid quarantine

By Navneet Singh New Delhi, Feb 15 : India will not compete in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in April in Changwon because of stricter 14-day Covid-related quarantine rules in South Korea, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) said on Monday.
India’s Olympic hopefuls were to get crucial exposure at the World Cup before going to Tokyo for Games beginning on July 23.
“Athletes participating in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Changwon from April 16 to 27 will not be exempted from the mandatory two weeks quarantine rule. We don’t know how many shooters from other countries will compete, but we have opted out of the competition,” an NRAI official told IANS.
The World Cup was part of the Indian shooters’ training programme as part of Olympic preparations, crucially as Korea and Japan have a similar time zone, said a national level coach. “Confining to four walls of the room for two weeks in isolation and then competing isn’t practical,” the coach said about skipping the World Cup.
Now, the 15 Indian shooters who have earned Olympic quota places will be seen in action at the 64th National Shooting Championship starting from April 10 at different venues.
Shooters from around the world were looking forward to competing at the National Test event in Tokyo from April 25. But it was cancelled due to Covid19.