TLDR: Olympian Deepak Kumar has been appointed Chief League Commissioner of the School Shooting Premier League (SSPL), India’s first structured school-level shooting league, aiming to promote grassroots talent and make shooting a mainstream sport.
The Eternal Sports Promotion Foundation today announced the appointment of Olympian Deepak Kumar as Chief League Commissioner of the School Shooting Premier League (SSPL), India’s first structured school-level shooting league. This appointment marks a major milestone in the league’s development and reinforces its commitment to grassroots growth, accessibility, affordability and public awareness of shooting as a mainstream sport.
SSPL was launched with the vision of taking shooting deeper into schools and creating a sustainable pipeline of young talent. Designed as a multi-tiered competitive platform, the league brings together schools, academies and institutions to provide students with professional competition and expert mentorship. The appointment of Deepak Kumar, one of India’s most respected shooters, adds technical credibility and elite guidance to the league while strengthening its national outreach.
Commenting on his new role, Deepak Kumar said, “Shooting gave me purpose and opportunities I will always be grateful for. I firmly believe that talent exists in every part of India — we need structured pathways that give young shooters access, coaching and exposure. The School Shooting Premier League is uniquely placed to do that within the school ecosystem. I look forward to working with schools, coaches, parents and stakeholders to make shooting an aspirational and accessible sport for our young athletes.”
Deepak Srivastava, Co-Founder of SSPL, added, “SSPL was founded to make shooting more inclusive, affordable and widely understood. With Deepak Kumar’s leadership, we can strengthen zonal competitions, expand coaching networks and create clear progression routes from school competitions to state and national levels.”
The School Shooting Premier League is designed to bring shooting into the mainstream school sports ecosystem, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the New Sports Policy (NSP) 2025. Through structured leagues, SSPL provides students with exposure to competitive environments while building life skills such as discipline, focus, resilience, and teamwork. Alongside accessibility and affordability, the league emphasizes awareness: while cricket dominates public attention, Olympic medal-winning sports like shooting remain less known. SSPL seeks to change this by spotlighting the sport and its athletes, encouraging more schools, parents, and students to view shooting as a credible and aspirational sporting pathway.
The inaugural season of SSPL is set to roll out with zonal qualifiers across multiple states, culminating in a national championship that will bring together the most promising school shooters from across India. The league intends to collaborate with schools, sports academies, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to implement sustained training programmes, scholarship opportunities and talent-scouting initiatives. Strategic partnerships with sponsors and institutions will further widen SSPL’s reach, ensuring that every talented student, regardless of geography or financial background, has the opportunity to pursue shooting as a professional sport.
India has long demonstrated strength in global shooting events, yet structured opportunities at an early stage remain limited. By offering a professionally run, scalable and school-centred league, SSPL addresses this gap and positions itself as a movement that not only develops athletes but also fosters the long-term growth of sporting culture and public appreciation for diverse Olympic disciplines.
The School Shooting Premier League (SSPL), an initiative of the Eternal Sports Promotion Foundation, is India’s first structured school-level shooting league. With a mission to make shooting accessible, affordable and aspirational while raising awareness, SSPL provides young students with professional competition, expert mentorship and clear pathways to higher achievement. By aligning with NEP 2020 and NSP 2025, SSPL seeks to nurture sporting talent and life skills that prepare students for success across all spheres.
