Two boys practise at the newly inaugurated — and freshly flooded — shooting range in Ranchi on Sunday. (Prashant Mitra)

Ranchi, June 19: It was a shot amid downpour that did not miss its mark.

Ranchi Shooting Club was today inaugurated on RTC School campus at Booty Road by Ranchi senior superintendent of police Praveen Kumar, in front of an enthusiastic gathering that refused to let incessant rain dampen spirits.

Shooting club secretary A.S. Rathore told the media that the ring, the first of its kind in the state, had facilities for three persons to practise shooting at present.

However, one couldn’t hold a gun to the head of water-logging and make it leave the premises.

The rain, over 100mm in the past 36 hours, had made the shooting range resemble a rivulet. But trigger-happy aspirants were unfazed by the rain as they braved ankle-deep water and aimed at the target.

The club secretary admitted the club’s flooring had to be elevated and drainage systems installed. “A lot of work needs to be done soon to prevent flooding. We request the state for funding. We’ll extend facilities to enable 20 shooters at a time to enjoy target practice here,” he said.

Wet ankles in the monsoon notwithstanding, aspirants at the club will be trained under an experienced coach in rifle and pistol shooting categories.

“Around 50 boys and girls will be coached. Our aim is to give the state national-level shooters,” Rathore said.

Principals of various Ranchi schools have evinced interest in sending their students to the shooting club. But it is not known if the threat of sniffles caused due to target practice in the waterlogged range will cause a rethink.

Rathore did say summer relief was on cards. “In the future, we will ensure that the shooting ring is air-conditioned. This is just the beginning,” the club secretary said.

Shooting was last in the news in the National Games in February where the squad bowed out after the first round of the trap shooting event as the ongoing tussle between Jharkhand State Rifle Association and Jharkhand Rifle Association prevented kits from reaching the players.

“There was one rifle for a team of three. As a result, you ended up losing concentration every time you picked up the weapon. Shooting is a mind game,” a team member had said.

Perhaps the state did keep the Games fiasco in mind. Now, it only has to shoo(t) waterlogging away.