KATHMANDU: Nepali shooters were forced to borrow ammunition from their opponents after National Sports Council failed to import their equipment on time.

“We had two options: Ask for help from players of other countries or withdraw from the competition,” said a shooter. The Nepali shooters tried their luck by borrowing ammunition and made graceful exit from the tournament.

According to a Nepal Shooting Association official, the women’s team missed the 10m Air Rifle medal by less than three points and Sushmita Nepal could not advance to the final round by 0.5 points.

“It is not done. The situation could have been different,” the official added. “It was a great opportunity for Nepali shooters as they were competing at home. It is a shame that they were ill-equipped for the tournament,” he added.

One of the shooting squad members was complaining of not getting basic gear. “I do not have an eye binder, while my friends are borrowing ammunition from their opponents. Some are even having to make do with old bullets,” she said.

“Officials should be ashamed. Despite all this, they want us to win medals,” she added. NSA Secretary and former chief coach Pradeep Khati admitted that the equipment did not reach on time. “I think we should have prepared a little bit cautiously and given importance to the players’ equipment as they were going to participate in South Asian Games,” he added.