Bengaluru, February 21 – The Karnataka Shooting League is set to make its competitive debut with a franchise-based format aimed at providing exposure and competitive opportunities to shooters across the state. With 136 shooters registering for the event, the league marks a significant step in strengthening Karnataka's shooting ecosystem.
Organized under the auspices of the Shooting League of India (SLI), the league calendar began with the Team Owners' Auction on February 12, followed by a Players' Auction on February 17.
Qualification rounds for the League are scheduled for February 28, with the semi-finals and finals to be held on March 1.
The participating franchises include Caliber Capitals, Trigger Action, Bangalore Brigade, Redrum, Mangalore Raptors, Top Guns, Sniper Squad, and Hubballi Shooting Star.
Featuring eight teams in a mixed-team format, each side will have 11 players across events. A key participation rule mandates that every team member must compete in at least one qualification match, ensuring broader involvement.
Like the SLI, the Karnataka Shooting League will showcase events across multiple disciplines, including 10m Air Pistol (Men & Women), 10m Air Rifle (Men & Women), 25m Pistol, 50m Rifle, Trap, and Skeet. The League will follow an SLI format, which will be shorter and tighter than the regular ISSF rules.
Out of the 136 registered players, eight were international athletes – all from Karnataka – underlining the depth of talent within the state. Eight franchises secured 88 shooters at the auction, with each team assigned a virtual budget of INR 1.75 Crores.
The highest bids at the auction were for Krutharth Devang Savyasachi (Virtual INR 44,00,000, Bangalore Brigade), Anushka H Thokur (Virtual INR 43,00,000, Bangalore Brigade), Mamit Gowda (Virtual INR 42,00,000, Mangalore Raptors), Nawabzada M.D. Omar Bin Jung (Virtual INR 41,00,000, Hubballi Shooting Star), and Shravan M Shashidhar (Virtual INR 35,00,000, Top Guns).
By combining a structured league format, athlete participation mandates, and competitive bidding, the Karnataka Shooting League aims to create a sustainable pathway for shooters while elevating the sport's visibility and value within the state.