Shooting sport is definitely healthy

Some correspondents seem worried about the way the age for shooting sport has been lowered. I do not blame these correspondents if they don't know the facts.

First of all a junior shooter, after s/he has attended a course in handling the firearm and all the safety regulations, will be recommended by a licensed club to be licensed to shoot at a licensed shooting range under the supervision of a licensed range officer.

Nobody under the age of 18 will be allowed to carry a firearm or ammunition outside a licensed shooting range. Junior shooters between 14 and 18 years of age will not be licensed to keep or to carry the firearm outside the licensed shooting range.

Secondly, for all those that think that shooting sport is not a healthy sport, I can assure them that they are very wrong. A sports shooter must control his/her diet and must be physically fit, otherwise s/he will not concentrate when taking aim in this sport. A sports shooter must avoid smoking if s/he wants to have a career in shooting. Smoking is not allowed on the shooting range, not even in the spectators' area, according to ISSF regulations.

A sports shooter must avoid drinking alcohol as this will disrupt his/her nervous system and also is not allowed on the shooting range.

But, most importantly, sports shooters must keep away from drugs as the abuse of any substance is prohibited from all shooting sports.

So we encourage juniors to take up sports for the benefit of their own health.

From my own experience, I have seen many young athletes who preferred the road to Bidnija to the road to Paceville and, today, thank God that He led them this way.