On Wednesday, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced that the first edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) has once again been postponed until later this year. The tournament that was initially scheduled to be held last year was first postponed to February 2026. With the February date also postponed, the revised date will be released soon.
A statement from the organisers read, “This move is designed to strengthen the league’s long-term positioning, broadcast impact, and overall fan experience. It will also position the league as the ultimate celebration of Indian shooting, capitalising on the massive sporting momentum expected from the major international events in 2026 and beyond.”
The NRAI believes the revised schedule will help the Indian shooting team be in close proximity to the international shooting events. Had it been held in 2025, the major multi-sport events scheduled this year, including the Asian Games, which is one of the biggest platforms, would have seen Indian shooters with a long gap to fight for the top honour in this event. The Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.
NRAI president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo on SLI’s revised schedule said that the decision was to bring the athletes close to the major events and give them a chance to be on the centre stage and gain the spotlight.
Singh said, “Our priority is to give our athletes the biggest stage possible. By realigning the season, we are creating a dedicated window where the Shooting League of India gets the maximum eyeballs on television.”
In addition to that, Singh believes an inaugural event like SLI could cater to and gain attention as one of the major shooting events, to the likes of the established ones.
“This shift allows us to welcome our shooters back from key events as stars, giving them the spotlight they deserve while ensuring the league product is technically perfect. Also, this additional preparation period enables us to move from alpha testing to broadcast perfection. Our objective is to deliver a flawless, world-class viewer experience from the very first shot,” Singh added.
The SLI was initially expected to feature eight city-based franchises, but it was later changed to six and later resulting in four. So far, only three sides have confirmed their participation and are presently part including the Delhi Knight Warriors, Mumbai X Calibres, and UP Prometheans.
