History of Baroda Rifle Club

Rifle Shooting as a sport saw its dawn through the efforts of Late Shri. Ganesh Vasudev Mavlankar also known as Dadasaheb Mavlankar. He was born on the 27th of November 1888, in the city Baroda, Capital of the erstwhile State of the Royal Gaekwads and now part of Gujarat State, India.

The National Rifle Association was formed on April 17th 1951 to develop the shooting sport in India and to impart training to civilians for self-defense. Late Shri Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar the first Speaker of Lok Sabha and Late Shri K. G. Prabhu initiated the founding the National Rifle Association at National level in the year 1951, with Late G. V. Maviankar as the founder president (Between 17th April 1951 to 11th March 1956), Late Shri K. G. Prabhu was the first General Secretary (Between 17th April to 8th September 1959 and Late Captain S.J. Dighe from Vadodara was the first Secretary (Between 1st February 1959 to 31st May 1967) to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). The NRAI was founded in the city of Ahmedabad and later shifted to the banks of the river Sabarmati in Khanpur, Ahmedabad, where it remained as the head office for a long period of time, until it was relocated to Delhi.

Dadasaheb believed in Training Civilians in the use of arms for sports and self-defense as a necessary means of National defense through proper training and to inculcate a sense of discipline in handling firearms and to develop qualities of fearlessness & patriotism in the spirit of public service.

Dadasaheb’s beliefs were proved true and the Civilian Rifle Training Ideology bore rewarding fruit at the time of the Chinese invasion in the year 1962 by training around 2000 citizens in the use of arms at that crucial time when the nation was going through a crisis.

Late Shri K.G. Prabhu was a man of many facets. He joined the Non Cooperation movement in 1930, while still a student. He performed a leading role in the Quit India movement between 1942 – 43 and was responsible for a lot of underground activity in the Ahmedabad region during the period.

In 1943, he organized the Rashtra Seva Dal (NSO) in Karnataka. After Independence, he devoted himself to social work and organization of rescue and relief operations during and after national emergencies, especially the communal riots of 1941, 1946 & 1967 in Ahmedabad. He was the first Secretary General of the National Rifle Association of India 17/04/1959 to 08/09/1959 and was highly instrumental in setting up the Civil Defense movement in India.

The Baroda Rifle Club was founded in Baroda, the birth city of Late Shri G. V. Mavlankar on the 16th of June 1966, and was duly inaugurated by the Chief Minister Shri Hitendra Desai. The first C.R.T. class was organized at the banks of the river Narmada, at Nareshwar and the inaugural shot was fired by His Holiness Shri Rang Avadhut Maharaj. The Baroda Rifle Club continues to run by his blessings.

It was the relentless and untiring efforts of Shri Ramdas Mansingh Halwai which helped set up the Baroda Rifle Club and kept it alive and active for over 30 years after its inception in 1966. Inspite of the club’s going through desperate times of financial starvation and public neglect and apathy, it was Shri Ramdas M Halwai’s devotion and selfless commitment to the sport which kept the institute alive and operational. Even today, all functionaries and officials of the club follow the example set by him of rendering honourary and free service to the institute which is considered by all its members to be their alma mater.

Since the date of inception in Baroda, the Baroda Rifle Club has patronized the ideas and beliefs of Late Shri G. V. Mavlankar with regards to civilian rifle training. Besides other shooting disciplines, the Civilian Rifle Training Scheme (C.R.T) is conducted regularly by Baroda Rifle Club on behalf of Govt. of India with full co-operation and support of Govt. Gujarat.

When the National Rifle Association was founded in the year 1951 Gujarat responded by opening 70 Civilian Rifle Training Centers out of which, center's like Baroda and Ahmedabad are the most prominent and fully functioning training centers in Gujarat till date.

His Highness Srimant Sayajirao Gaekwad helped promote and patronize all sports. With his blessings, many sportsmen have developed their skill in their respective sports at the national as well as international sporting events.