Sports shooter Mohsin Nawaz dedicates Tamgha-e-Imtiaz to PLRA Patron Field Marshal Asim Munir

Institutions provide a solid foundation for the success of sports and sportsmen alike, says Mohsin Nawaz. He bestowed his Tamgha-i-Imtiaz on the patron-in-chief of PLRA and acknowledged the institutional foundation that has helped formalize and grow sports in Pakistan. He further highlighted the collective effort of institutions and the government of Pakistan in recognising and promoting shooting sports. He appreciated the efforts of the Cabinet Division and the Pakistan Sports Board to bring the shooting sports into the mainstream domain of sports.

Nawaz also extended his appreciation to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Long Range Rifle Association (PLRA), while expressing admiration for the leadership that facilitated vital sports facilities and infrastructure.

"Field Marshal Asim Munir provided much-needed facilitation for the development of the facility of shooting sports," Nawaz said. "With the official recognition from the Pakistan Sports Board and the government's backing, Pakistani shooters now have an international standard structure to compete globally under Pakistan's flag."

The PLRA, established under this broader framework of institutional patronage, secured affiliation with the International Confederation of Full-bore Rifle Associations (ICFRA). This milestone gave Pakistan a formal presence in world-level sport shooting for the first time, establishing a clear pathway to international competition that had not previously existed for independent shooters.

Nawaz, who holds 10 international individual medals and has represented Pakistan at competitions in the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa, says the PLRA provides strong foundational support to shooters and expresses his conviction in the potential still waiting to be discovered.

"The sport is progressing under a more structured system, and I can see the difference. We are currently in the initial stages. Our aim is to compete with the world champions. The world has moved far ahead in this discipline, and Pakistan has the talent to compete at the very top. We just need to keep heading towards the right direction".

Globally, long-range precision shooting has evolved into a highly professional sport with national academies, dedicated training infrastructure, and institutional pipelines that develop young athletes at multiple levels. Nawaz believes Pakistan is capable of following a similar trajectory through sustained institutional support.

"I have been trained under the 2023 World Champion. It requires a lot of mental strength and vigilance over long hours of training. The huge potential exists here in shooting sports all we need to seek institutional support and trust in the excellence of shooting sports development, specifically in Pakistan"

Central to that development, in Nawaz's view, is collaboration with established institutions such as the Pakistan Army, which possesses the discipline, infrastructure, and culture of precision necessary to produce elite international marksmen.

Nawaz has also expressed a personal commitment to the process. Having competed at the highest levels of the sport for over 20 years, he says he is ready to contribute beyond the range.

"I want to pass on what I have learned. There are young Pakistanis who are passionate about this sport and have the capabilities to excel globally. I aim to be part of building that pathway with guidance".

The Tamgha-e-Imtiaz is a symbol of responsibility that conveys a message of service and of giving it back to the committee when the time comes.

"The future of shooting sports in Pakistan is very luminous, but it requires consistent and deliberate presence of institutions and their support. The ample foundational support from the government, the Sports Board, and Field Marshal Asim Munir has raised this sapling above the ground. The question is how high we can go”.