European Shooting Confederation

European Shooting Confederation
Sport	Shooting Sports
Jurisdiction	Europe
Membership	57
Abbreviation	ESC
Founded	1969
Affiliation	ISSF
Headquarters	Lausanne, Switzerland
President	Alexander Ratner
Official website
	www.esc-shooting.org

The European Shooting Confederation (ESC) is an association of the International Shooting Sport Federation's member federations from Europe, the Caucasus, Cyprus, Israel, and Turkey.

History

The organisation of European Shooting Championships was first decided in 1952 at the Congress of the International Shooting Union. Successful Championships and regional competitions were organised by the Committee for European Affairs within the International Union. The Confederation was founded as a distinct entity in 1969.^[1]

Between 2009 and 2021, Vladimir Lisin served as President.^[2]^[3] Alexander Ratner was elected President in 2021, taking over from Vladimir Lisin, who had been elected President of the International Shooting Sport Federation in 2018.^[4]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine the ESC and ISSF had banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from their competitions.^[5]^[6] In addition, the ESC stripped Russia of its right to host the 2022 European Shooting Championships in the 25m, 50m, 300m, running target and shotgun.^[7]^[8]^[9]

In March, both ESC President Alexander Ratner and ISSF President Vladimir Lisin were barred from attending the European 10metre Shooting Championships in any official capacity,^[10]^[11] amid calls for them to step aside.^[12]^[13] Ratner attended privately, insisting that neither he nor Lisin had links with the Russian government.^[14]^[15]

In July 2023, the Finnish Shooting Sport Federation (SAL) called for a secret ballot on the ESC Presidency to be added to the agenda of the 2023 ESC General Assembly in October.^[16]^[17] In particular they complained that Ratner had used ESC platforms to support Vladimir Lisin in the ISSF elections, as well as breaching the neutrality required as salaried staff at the ISSF (Ratner was ISSF Secretary-General at the time).^[18]^[19] In response, Mr Ratner threatened legal action.^[17] SAL appealed the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which found itself unable to impose provisional measures.^[20]^[16]^[21] No ballot was held at the General Assembly.^[22]

European Championships

Last editions contested

Competition	Last edition	Venue	Date	Notes
ISSF European Shooting Championships
European 10 m Events Championships	2022	Hamar	18–27 March	^[23]
European Running Target Championships	2019	Gyenesdiás	8–15 July	^[24]
European Shotgun Championships	2022	Larnaca	24 August - 12 September	^[25]
European Shooting Championships	2019	Bologna Tolmezzo	12–23 September 22–27 September	^[26]

Competitions administered by the ESC

European Championships in all ISSF shooting events except airgun events are held every odd-numbered year in July or August
Extra European Championships in shotgun events and junior events are held in all other years
European Championships in 10 metre air rifle, 10 metre air pistol, 10 metre running target and 10 metre running target mixed are held every year at the end of the indoor season, typically in March
The European Cup 300 m (currently Lapua European Cup 300 m) in the non-Olympic 300 metre rifle three positions, 300 metre rifle prone and 300 metre standard rifle with a similar season structure to the ISSF World Cup in Olympic events
The European Cup 25 m (currently Walther European Cup 25 m) in the non-Olympic 25 metre center-fire pistol and 25 metre standard pistol
The European Shotgun Tournament
The ESC Youth League for national teams in 10 metre air rifle and 10 metre air pistol, in preparation for the Youth Olympic Games, premiering in 2009

References

^ "History". esc-shooting.org. European Shooting Confederation. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ "VLADIMIR LISIN REELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN SHOOTING CONFEDERATION". ESC-Shooting.org. European Shooting Confederation. 23 July 2017. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022.
^ Sam Carp (24 July 2017). "Lisin re-elected European Shooting Confederation President". SportsPro Media. SportsPro. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Ali Iveson (21 October 2021). "Ratner beats Rossi to assume European Shooting Confederation Presidency". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024. Alexander Ratner is the new President of the European Shooting Confederation (ESC) after receiving just shy of 55 per cent of votes in a straight shootout with Luciano Rossi. Ratner polled 52 of the 95 votes cast at today's ESC General Assembly in Larnaka in Cyprus. Rossi received 43 votes.
^ "International Shooting Sport Federation, led by Russian billionaire Lisin, bans Russian and Belarusian athletes from its events". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
^ "Australian Sports Minister believes ISSF should remove Lisin as President". www.insidethegames.biz. 21 April 2022.
^ "The 2022 European Championship removed from Russia". European Shooting Confederation. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^ "Cyprus, Poland replace Russia as hosts of 2022 European Shooting Championships". www.insidethegames.biz. 8 April 2022.
^ Tushar Dutt (26 February 2022). "Euro shooting moved out of Russia, Worlds next?". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^ Duncan Mackay (23 March 2022). "Exclusive: Lisin told "not welcome" at European Shooting Championships in Norway because he is Russian, ESC President claims". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
^ "ISSF President told "not welcome" at European Shooting Championship in Norway because he is Russian, ESC President claims". Indian Shooting. 24 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
^ Duncan Mackay (7 April 2022). "Duncan Mackay: Vladimir Lisin is under pressure at both the ISSF and in Russia". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
^ Duncan Mackay (8 March 2022). "Exclusive: Calls for Russian oligarch Lisin to step aside as ISSF President after invasion of Ukraine". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
^ Michael Houston (26 March 2022). "Uninvited ESC President Ratner turns up at 10m European Shooting Championship in Hamar". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
^ Duncan Mackay (20 April 2022). "ESC appoints German as new secretary general following criticism of shooting Russia domination". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b "SAL sai perustelut CAS:n välipäätökselle ja keskeyttää vetoomusprosessin". ampumaurheiluliitto.fi (in Finnish). Suomen Ampumaurheiluliitto. 7 December 2023. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ ^a ^b Philip Barker (19 August 2023). "Exclusive: Ratner threatens legal action after calls for him to resign as European Shooting Confederation President". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Group. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Otto Leinonen (30 August 2023). "Suomi haastoi venäläispomon - Sitten tuli kirje: "Miten näinkin alas voidaan vajota"". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Alma Media Suomi. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Liam Morgan (29 October 2021). "Liam Morgan: Déjà vu for Kosovo as sport continues to let country down". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2024. A week has passed since the Presidential election at the European Shooting Confederation (ESC). In normal times, it is feasible the vote would have passed with little traction outside of the world of Olympic shooting. But the fact the winner of the election, Russia's Alexander Ratner, is also the secretary general of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has caught the attention of the IOC. Whatever Ratner, the ISSF and its President Vladimir Lisin have to say, there is an obvious conflict here. You do not need to be a professor of governance to realise that. Ratner is now the number one in Europe and the number two at the worldwide governing body. There is wearing too many hats, and then there is wearing clearly conflicting hats. The IOC declined to comment on the election but said it "is confident that the newly elected ESC President will take the appropriate steps to avoid a situation that could lead to any conflict of interest".
^ "SAL: "Bakussa odotettavissa myrskyisä ESC:n kokous"". ampumaurheiluliitto.fi (in Finnish). Suomen Ampumaurheiluliitto. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Philip Barker (30 August 2023). "Finland appeal to CAS over Ratner's refusal to put elections on European Shooting Confederation agenda". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Tekijän kuva Sami Ikonen (22 October 2023). "Suomi jäi alakynteen kabinetissa – Kohuttu venäläispomo uhkaili". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Alma Media Suomi. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ "2022 10m European Shooting Championships" (PDF). European Shooting Confederation. esc-shooting.org. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^ "2019 European Shooting Championships Running Target 50m" (PDF). European Shooting Confederation. esc-shooting.org. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
^ "2022 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP SHOTGUN, LARNACA, CYPRUS" (PDF). esc-shooting.org. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^ "2019 European Shooting Championships 25m, 50m, 300m" (PDF). European Shooting Confederation. esc-shooting.org. Retrieved 6 September 2019.