Ludhiana: As state-level shooting competitions draw near, shooters in Ludhiana are battling an unexpected challenge: the city’s main shooting range is still not ready.The renovation of the Rakh Bagh shooting range, which began in the first week of Aug and was scheduled to be completed within a month, has been stalled for nearly three weeks, leaving players without a proper training facility at a crucial stage of their preparation.With the state-level Khedan Watan Punjab Games scheduled to begin in mid-Nov and school-level state championships also around the corner, shooters and coaches say the delay has severely affected practice sessions.Coach Gurjeet Singh said players had already lost nearly two months of training time. “The contractor had assured us that work would resume after Dussehra, but there has been no progress. The competition season is approaching fast and players need regular practice to remain competitive,” he said.Several shooters echoed the concern. One athlete said players were currently visiting the range only to complete paperwork related to upcoming tournaments, with little meaningful training taking place.“We are entering an important phase of the season. Without proper practice, it becomes difficult to perform confidently in competitions,” the shooter said.Players also pointed out that while another shooting range is available in Narangwal, its distance from the city makes regular travel difficult for many trainees.District sports officer Mandeep Kaushal said the department had written to the authorities concerned seeking early completion of the project. “We understand the importance of practice ahead of competitions and are pursuing the matter,” he said.
