The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) wants to restart its junior shooting programme, that has found talents like Manu Bhaker and Divyansh Singh Panwar NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo stressed on the need for a framework that facilitates the transition of talented juniors into the senior set-up. “A majority of our shooters have emerged from the junior programme. Several have come through Khelo India, which the government runs. We’ve proposed that the NRAI work with an ecosystem to support junior shooters transitioning to the senior team,” Deo said on Monday. “This ensures junior shooters are exposed to our high-performance team, foreign and national coaches, and national shooters.” The NRAI believes that allowing the juniors to compete with seniors would increase competition faced by established shooters and in a playing field where technique is largely level, the best in-form shooters would consistently compete against each other. “Combining the junior and senior teams creates a unified approach. We appoint coaches for development and ensure juniors compete well with seniors. Previously, the junior programme helped juniors push …