Indian shooting legend Jitu Rai believes the upcoming Shooting League of India (SLI) could mark a turning point for the sport in the country, bridging the gap between elite performance and public engagement while creating a clear pathway from grassroots talent to the international stage.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of UP Prometheans, one of the franchises in the SLI, Rai described the league as a long-overdue step that could reshape how shooting is perceived, consumed, and developed in India.
“This is a new face for shooting in India,” Rai said. “This is a platform where people from all over the world can watch shooting. Even if you don’t know much about the sport, you can still watch it and understand it. When you start watching, you begin to discover your own interest and even your inner talent.”
Rai’s endorsement carries weight. One of India’s most decorated pistol shooters, he is a former world No. 1, a multiple ISSF World Cup gold medallist, and a Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardee. At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Rai became the first Indian pistol shooter to qualify for and reach an Olympic final, narrowly missing out on a medal with a fourth-place finish. His career has spanned eras of Indian shooting, from limited visibility and sparse infrastructure to the modern, high-performance ecosystem seen today.
According to Rai, the SLI has the potential to accelerate this evolution by making shooting more accessible and transparent for audiences that may not yet fully understand the sport.
“Outside India, people already know a little about shooting. But within the country, many don’t really understand how the sport works, how a shot is fired, how technique matters, or what kind of facilities and preparation are involved,” he explained. “Through a league like the SLI, people will be able to see everything clearly: how shooting is done, what kind of infrastructure exists, and how the sport is being promoted.”
One of the league’s key strengths, Rai believes, lies in its franchise-based model, which mirrors successful structures seen in other Indian sports. By packaging shooting in a viewer-friendly format without diluting its technical depth, the SLI could bring elite-level competition closer to the public while maintaining sporting integrity.
For athletes, the impact could be even more significant. Rai highlighted how regular exposure to high-quality competition can sharpen competitive instincts and mental resilience, two factors critical for success at the international level.
“The shooters who inspire today will become even more motivated,” he said. “Talent will come from all over the world, and Indian shooters will naturally become more competitive by facing that level of opposition. Yes, definitely, you will see world-class champions emerging from the Shooting League of India.”
Rai’s comments align with a broader belief within the shooting community that domestic leagues can fill a crucial gap between national competitions and global events like ISSF World Cups and the Olympic Games. While India has consistently produced shooters capable of winning medals on the world stage, sustained high-level competition within the country has often been limited. The SLI, by design, aims to address that gap.
At the UP Prometheans launch in Noida, Rai also took time to assess the franchise’s facilities, offering high praise for what he described as a modern, high-performance sporting environment. The Prometheans’ shooting range, in particular, stood out for meeting international standards a factor Rai considers essential if the league is to fulfill its promise.
“The shooting range here is of the highest standard,” he said. “When I came and saw the facilities not just the range, but also the presence of other sports like badminton and swimming it was clear that a very strong sporting structure had been created. This kind of environment is exactly what shooting in India needs as we move into a league like the SLI.”
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Rai’s optimism reflects a growing confidence within Indian shooting that the sport is ready to step into a new phase. With improved infrastructure, better visibility, and a competitive league format, the SLI could help demystify shooting for fans while giving young athletes a clearer roadmap to excellence.
As India prepares for future Olympic cycles, initiatives like the Shooting League of India may prove decisive not just in producing medal winners, but in ensuring that shooting becomes a sport understood, followed, and celebrated by a much wider audience across the country.
