TIKAPUR, Oct 18: There is a house with corrugated roof in the middle of a forest near Tikapur Park Road. The house which looks like a morgue is in a pathetic condition.

Neither there is electricity in the house nor does it have doors and windows. There isn't any facility of water and toilet as well. 

This house was constructed with financial support provided by the Ministry of Sports as a training venue for shooters. The condition of the players who train here is even more pathetic than the house itself. Players train with a broken pistol and a rusted gun. 

Altogether 12 players are currently undergoing regular training for the upcoming Seventh National Games to be held in Eastern Region of the country from November 22.  The broken pistol is tied with a bicycle's tube. The players face tough time tying it again once the tube is unleashed from the pistol. Even that pistol is out of order and has stopped firing since last three weeks. No one is there to repair it. Players are forced to take aim with the same pistol which does not fire. 

“It doesn't fire. We use it just balance our hands,” said Sabitri Bohara. “Training has become nothing more than time pass,” added the 25-year-old player who had also participated in the shooting event in the Sixth National Games held in Dhangadi five years ago. She had secured second position in the Far-Western regional selection and secured place in the finals of the last edition of the National Games. 

Binod Bam is another player who trains here with the rusted gun. He had secured first position in the Far-Western regional selection of the Sixth National Games. There is no certainty that the gun takes his command as it often does not fire. It even has the risk of injuring trainees. “Few days earlier it caused injury on Dev Raj Saud's finger. Fortunately that was not big,” Binod said. “Another day I was hit in my head. Now you can imagine how we have been training with these kits.”

A broken pistol tied with bicycle tube. (Republica)

The weapons they are using are based on spring system but the players need to shoot with gas-system weapon in the tournament. Thus, the players do not have high expectation of winning medals in the next edition of the National Games. 

The players not only lack training equipment but also a coach. The players have never seen any coach during training so far. The players themselves share ideas to each other during training. “We don't know whether there is appointment of coach or not in the district. We help each other during training,” said Sabitri. 

 According to Kailali District Sports Development Committee President Dipak Singh, there is no shooting coach in the district. He was also aware about the pathetic condition of training kits and the shooters. “It is our compulsion because playing tools are too expensive. We can't buy it on our own due to poor economic condition. We do not receive funds from the center (National Sports Council). Only the powerful ones gets kits distributed through the Nepal Shooting Association,” said Singh. He also clarified that selection of the players won't be held until sufficient playing tools are provided. 

Earlier, the players were sent to the First Lumbini Sports Fair and Nepal-Kuwait Shooting Tournament without holding any selection process. Players also had participated in the Sixth National Games without training under coach and without proper training equipment.  

 
• shooters
 
• broken pistol
 
• rusted gun
 
• tikapur