The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) CEO David Grevemberg refused the reports that shooting has been excluded from the 2022 Birmingham Games roster on the organisers’ request.
“In response to erroneous media reports, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) would like to clarify that shooting has not been scrapped from 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England,” Grevemberg told PTI in an official response.
“In no uncertain terms, the CGF wishes to clarify that shooting is, and always has been, an optional sport which a Commonwealth Games Host City has the choice to include on its Sports Programme should it so wish, and if it feels the sport is in line with its transformative ambitions for the Games,” Grevemberg added.
However Shooting remains as the optional sports in games, Grevemberg termed reports of its abolishment as an “inaccurate” piece of news.
“Though it was already an optional sport, its status (as an optional sport) was reconfirmed by the entire Commonwealth of Nations at the 2015 CGF General Assembly.
“It is wholly inaccurate to suggest that the CGF has ‘scrapped’ shooting from the 2022 programme. One of the unique benefits a future Games Host City partner has is the ability to tailor the Games in line with its very own ambitions and aspirations,” Grevemberg said.
Shooting’s status as a CWG sport has been a matter of speculation for a while with Birmingham expressing its reservations about putting together facilities to host the event.
Indian shooters dream of representing the nation at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games gets a new lifeline with the statement from CEO of CWG.
Shooting has been contested at every Commonwealth Games since Kingston 1966, with the exception of Edinburgh 1970. Shooting has been the brought almost 26% of India’ medal at CWG games. Out of the total 438 medals India has won in the Commonwealth Games, shooting has alone accounted for 118 medals.
India has a rich history in shooting at Commonwealth games with 56 golds, 40 silver & 22 bronze medals to its name. The Asian nation consolidates the second position after Australia at 1st spot.
In the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Indian shooters bagged a total of 17 medals in the event.
{PTI Inputs}
