Olympian Joydeep Karmakar has been suspended from all shooting activities in West Bengal by the state’s governing body, the West Bengal Rifle Association (WBRA), following his public accusations of corruption in the selection process for the 2025 National Games. The suspension, issued on February 12, came after Karmakar criticized the WBRA for allegedly rigging the team selection and favoring lower-ranked shooters over more accomplished athletes.
Karmakar, who narrowly missed an Olympic medal at the 2012 London Games and has represented India in several international shooting competitions, took to social media in January to voice his concerns about the selection process. In a post, he alleged, “National Games Shooting Team is rigged! Onus goes to West Bengal Rifle Association – WBRA! Corruption at a different level!” He further accused the association of selecting shooters ranked as low as 250th, while sidelining athletes ranked in the top 20 nationally.
In response, the WBRA issued a show-cause notice to Karmakar, questioning the “objectionable” nature of his post. The association suspended him from all shooting-related activities in the state until he provided a satisfactory explanation. Debkumar Samanta, secretary general of the WBRA, stated that the suspension followed legal procedures and would remain in place until Karmakar responds.
Seeking resolution, Karmakar has reached out to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for intervention. In a letter sent to NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo on Tuesday, Karmakar stated, “Being an Olympian who served the country & NRAI being the apex body of shooting sport in the country, I would appeal to you/NRAI, to take necessary steps so that such unprecedented & disrespectful ‘suspension’ is summarily nullified and action be taken so that no one repeats such shameful acts where an Olympian, as well as hundreds of shooters, are banned from playing their own sport!”
Karmakar is a prominent figure in Indian shooting. In 2015, he founded the Joydeep Karmakar Shooting Academy (JKSA) in Kolkata, which has trained hundreds of aspiring shooters from the state.