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The proposal to scrap the 50m mens pistol event from the Olympic Games has upset and angered Indian shooters. Those who competed in this event - which will be replaced with the 10m air pistol mixed gender team event - are now looking at other categories and worried about their future.Bahut gehra dukh hua hai (Im deeply saddened), Jitu Rai, currently the most high profile Indian exponent of the 50m pistol, told ESPN. Such a decision should have never been taken. To drop the free pistol event from the Olympics is unacceptable. Ive been training for it all these years.The decision had been announced by Abhinav Bindra, who headed the committee of the International Shooting Federation (ISSF) that made this recommendation to the parent body. Jitu - No 4 in the world and a gold medallist at both the 2014 Asian and Commonwealth Games - said he would write to Bindra and the ISSF asking them to reconsider.Prakash Nanjappa, who also competed in Rio Olympics in this event, was equally vocal in his criticism.The way to achieve gender equality shouldnt be through scrapping existing events, especially one thats so popular. It could have possibly been done by introducing free pistol (as the event is also called) to female shooters instead.Jitu concedes that the obvious fallout of the decision for him would be to focus solely on his other event, the 10m air pistol, but Nanjappa says he would adopt an event that he has never tried before - 25m rapid fire pistol - and begin at the base.Competing in the 10m air pistol and rapid fire pistol events, though, would present a bizarre dichotomy in terms of preparation for Nanjappa.The 10m air pistol is a precision event requiring a shooter to fire 60 shots in over an hour in the qualification stage, followed by up to 20 shots in the final stage. The rapid fire event. however, requires a shooter to fire five shots in four seconds to start with.Preparing for both events would mean training your mind to be fast and slow at the same time. Its crazy, Nanjappa said. Also, training for the rapid fire event is twice as much expensive both in terms of money and ammunition.Four-time Olympian trap shooter Manavjit Singh Sandhu said the decision was a loss for India.Of course free pistol would still be a part of other international meets but once an event stops being an Olympic discipline, slowly you find support, both government and private, drying up, he said. Young shooters whove been training in the event are now bereft of an Olympic goal.While praising the move toward gender parity, former pistol shooter Jaspal Rana criticised the choice of events picked to be booted out of the Games.We must bear in mind that the free pistol event has a great legacy, and is also one in which India boasts of a fair amount of representation and medal prospect with Jitu Rai and Prakash Nanjappa qualifying for the Olympics this year. I see no justification for such a call. Its a very upsetting move, Rana said.NRAI chief Raninder Singh, who is part of the ISSF Executive Committee that will take a final decision on the recommendations, feels while the country has been robbed of a potential medal event, theres some reason for cheer.Its a setback for Jitu and India. But if you look at it conversely and in an unemotional manner were getting another chance in one of our other strong shooting events - air pistol.Anticipating a backlash, Bindra, chairman of the ISSF Athletes Committee which recommended the changes, was empathetic in his statement.We can understand that many athletes would not be satisfied with this. In fact, none of us are and we realize that this is a very difficult scenario. The Athletes Committee requests that everybody should look at the bigger picture and consider the many factors important for us to ensure our strong presence within the Olympic movement.Terming it an emotional situation, Bindra added that the Committee understood the sensitivity of athletes who would be affected by the decision.The ISSF is currently only one of seven international federations that does not have equal number of events or quotas for men and women. With the proposal to replace three mens shooting events with mixed-gender events, in keeping with IOCs Agenda 2020, both men and women will now have six events each.The events to be taken off the Olympic program - 50m rifle prone men, 50m pistol men and double trap men - have, however, been proposed to continue to be a part of the World Championships.Nanjappa, though, says he draws comfort from the fact that the recommendations are subject to the ratification of the ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council that will meet in Delhi in February 2017. A window of hope, he feels, is still open for a possible rethink. Dock Ellis Jersey . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Bill Mazeroski Jersey . 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Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. CLEVELAND -- Jason Giambi is showing he still has something left to give a ballclub. And thats just fine with the Cleveland Indians. Giambis three-run homer in the sixth inning was the key blow and the Indians broke a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. Cleveland signed the 42-year-old veteran to a minor-league contract in February. Although Giambi is batting only .185, he has four homers and 16 RBIs in 65 at-bats. His latest home run stretched a precarious 2-1 lead and sparked the offence, which scored only 14 runs during the teams skid. Justin Masterson (8-3) pitched six solid innings and worked out of a bases-loaded jam with nobody out in the sixth to preserve a one-run lead. The momentum carried over to the bottom of the inning when Giambis homer off Bronson Arroyo put the game away. Indians manager Terry Francona was the driving force behind signing Giambi, thinking he could contribute a couple of times a week and offer leadership to his teammates. "When G does something, everybody in there goes crazy," Francona said. "Hes got a lot of fans in our dugout." Although Giambi has been in the big leagues for 17 seasons, hes still approaching the game like a youngster. Earlier in the season, he won over his new teammates when he dove headfirst into first base to beat out an infield hit. Giambi hit a pinch-hit homer against the Reds on Monday to break an 0-for-24 slump. "Theres no greater feeling in the world to be able to contribute and help the ballclub out," he said. "Its exciting. Its what brings me back. Sometimes I wish I was still 25 or 26 years old, but unfortunately Im not." Cincinnatis only run off Masterson came on Joey Vottos two-out homer in the first. Mark Reynolds homer to lead off the third tied the game before Nick Swishers RBI double gave the Indians a 2-1 lead in the fourth. The Reds took the first two games of the intrastate series with wins Monday and Tuesday in Cincinnati, but the Indians bounced back after losing seven of their previous eight. Clevelands losing streak matched its longest of the season. "We had a bad week," Francona said. "Thats part of the season. I feel every bit as good about our club right now that I did 10 days ago -- maybe better because Ive seen the fight they have in them." Masterson, who has won four of his last five decisions, allowed four hits and struck out seven. Cincinnati loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth, but Masterson worked out of the jam, getting Xavier Paul on a pitcher-to-home-to-first double play and retiring Devin Mesoraco on a fly ball. "I was hoping to get a ball right at me, but you dont always get what you hope for," Masterson said of the double play. Masterson also retired Votto on a groundout with two on to end the fiftth.dddddddddddd "First of all, you have to have stuff to do it, but he competes so well," Francona said of Mastersons ability to work out of jams. "Justin was tough over there," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "That was their hottest pitcher, one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. Hes always had good stuff, but hes really refined his skills." Arroyo (5-5) retired the first two hitters in the sixth before Asdrubal Cabrera and Swisher singled. Giambi hit a 2-1 pitch to right for his fourth career homer in 21 at-bats off Arroyo, who gave up five runs in 5 2-3 innings. Giambi also doubled and is batting .381 (8-for-21) with eight RBIs lifetime against the Cincinnati right-hander. "Hes seen me a lot over my career, and he saw everything I had tonight," Arroyo said. "I knew hed be in the lineup because Terry (Francona) knows about our history." Cody Allen pitched a scoreless seventh and Joe Smith blanked Cincinnati in the eighth. Vinnie Pestano, who has taken over the closers role for the injured Chris Perez, inherited a four-run lead in the ninth. He was greeted by Pauls leadoff homer, but retired the next three hitters. Perez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Arroyo has lost four straight against Cleveland, allowing 22 earned runs in 19 1-3 innings. The teams exchanged solo homers early in the game. Votto, who is batting .417 (40-for-96) in May, hit a line drive to dead centre in the first while Reynolds homered into the left-field bleachers in the third. Cabrera doubled with one out in the fourth and scored when Swishers hit found the gap in left-centre, but the inning ended in sloppy fashion. The Indians hit three straight doubles but scored only one run when Swisher and Giambi on the basepaths. Choo, who played with the Indians from 2006-12, made his first appearance in Cleveland since being traded to the Reds in December. He was 1-for-4 with a walk. NOTES: Cincinnati has lost eight in a row at Progressive Field. ... Reds RHP Homer Bailey (3-3) faces Indians LHP Scott Kazmir (2-2) in the finale of the two-game series Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ... Indians C Lou Marson (right shoulder) began a rehab assignment at Double-A Akron on Wednesday. He has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 25. Manager Terry Francona said theres no timetable for Marsons return but said, "Its probably weeks as opposed to days. Hes been out for a long time now." ... Cincinnati bench coach Chris Speier is temporarily coaching third base while Mark Berry receives treatment for throat cancer. Miguel Cairo is the interim bench coach. ... Indians RHP Brett Myers (sore elbow) could resume his minor league rehab assignment next week. He has been shut down from throwing for five to seven days because of a recent setback. ' ' '