New Delhi, Jan. 6 -- In Indian sport, franchise ownership is usually confined to boardrooms. Mumbai X Calibers, which will be part of the upcoming Shooting League of India (SLI), is cutting a different figure. Interestingly, all three owners of the Mumbai franchise are active shooters themselves, as per a release.

Ronak Pandit, a 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the men's 25m standard pistol (pairs), is currently competing at the ongoing 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) in Delhi alongside his co-owner Zahir Hawa. Along with fellow Indian shooter Faiyaz Virani, the trio's status as active athletes and franchise owners marks an unprecedented phenomenon in Indian professional sport.

This dual identity, they ...