SAI writes to CBSE to adjust board exam dates of shooters Manu Bhaker, Vijayveer Sidhu to avoid clash with Asian Airgun Championships

Sports Authority of India (SAI) has written to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to allot fresh dates in two subjects in the Class 12 board exams for young shooters Manu Bhaker and Vijayveer Sidhu. Both these athletes will be participating in the Asian Airgun Championships in Chinese Taipei from 25 March to 2 April, the dates of which coincide with the examinations this year. [caption id=“attachment_5348421” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Manu Bhaker is due to take two exams during the Asian Airgun Championships. Twitter @ISSF_Shooting[/caption] Bhaker (16), who specialises 10-metre pistol event and is part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), is scheduled to take her History exam on 25 March and Physical Education exam on 30 March, and both these dates are coinciding with the Championships. Sidhu (16), who is in the watchlist of TOPS and has won a silver medal in the Under-21 event at the Khelo India Youth Games, too has to take his Psychology exam on 29 March and Physical Education exam on 30 March. SAI was approached by the parents of both athletes to intervene and request the CBSE authorities to give fresh dates for these exams so that the athletes could appear in the exams and also participate in the Championships. As per a SAI release, the body has written to Anita Karwal, Chairperson of CBSE, to allow both athletes to take the exams on fresh dates. Last year too, SAI had written to CBSE with a similar request for shooter Anish Bhanwala, and he was allowed to take the Class 10 board exams after the event in which he was competing, got over. “SAI is hopeful that the CBSE Board will allot fresh exam dates to both these shooters, since it is important that they pursue their academics along with their promising sporting career,” the release said.