By Avni Arya

Copyright timesnownews

Pune: A group of young rifle and pistol shooters from Pune were left stranded at the airport on Tuesday evening after they missed their flight to Goa, allegedly due to delays in clearing their sporting firearms and ammunition. The six athletes, all under the age of 18, were travelling to compete in the 12th West Zone Shooting Championship scheduled to begin in Goa on Wednesday morning. The shooters, trained at the ‘Gun For Glory’ academy founded by Olympian Gagan Narang, were booked on an Akasa Air flight to Goa. However, only one managed to board the flight without her shooting kit, while the others were held back as clearance dragged on until just before departure. Families allege negligence at the airport Atul Kshirsagar, father of one of the shooters, said the flight was scheduled to depart at 5.30 pm and the group had reached the airport well in advance. “However, the airport staff delayed clearance of the weapons and ammunition till 5 pm, saying the shooters cannot carry ammunition with them. In reality, no shooter carries the gun and ammunition together. Both are packed separately, and during clearance, the airline takes custody of the shooting kit, issues a receipt, and the kit is handed back at the destination against the receipt,” he told PTI. He added that one girl managed to travel without her kit, but six others were unable to board. Academy expresses disappointment Gun For Glory took to X to criticise the handling of the situation. “Very disappointing service by @AkasaAir. Our athletes travelling from Pune to Goa for the 12th West Zone Shooting Championship reached the airport 3.5 hours early with all the required documents for rifles and pistols. Instead of smooth facilitation, the staff delayed the process, did not cooperate at the counter, and eventually denied boarding to athletes, coach, and parent,” the academy wrote. The post further alleged, “One athlete who boarded the flight had her rifle withheld at the Pune airport by Akasa staff despite proper check-in. The Championship starts tomorrow (Wednesday), and this negligence has left athletes stranded, directly affecting their participation and performance. Who will take responsibility for this?” Airline responds Responding to the criticism, Akasa Air acknowledged the situation. In a statement on X, the airline said: “A team of professional rifle shooters booked on Akasa Air flight QP 1143 from Pune to Goa on September 16 were regrettably unable to board due to extended security procedures involving their baggage that contained specialised shooting equipment. Our on-ground teams are providing all necessary assistance, and alternate travel arrangements are being organised for them to reach the competition in Goa. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused. At Akasa Air, passenger well-being is our topmost priority, and we continue to work towards ensuring that necessary protocols coexist seamlessly with a smooth and reliable travel experience.” By late Tuesday evening, six of the athletes had been rebooked on another airline for Wednesday morning, while others were still waiting at the airport with their families. The incident has sparked anger among parents and coaches who fear the disruption could affect the performance of the athletes, some of whom had trained for months to compete at the championship.