CHENNAI : Barring a miraculous climbdown as well as an extraordinary shift in priorities, shooting will remain off the 2022 Commonwealth Games menu. This much was confirmed to this newspaper by a Commonwealth Games Federation spokesperson on Monday.
“This is probably a question that Birmingham 2022 are best (equipped) to answer (will a dialogue between CGF and Indian Olympic Association mean CGF can ask Birmingham to re-include shooting or is that done?),” the spokesperson said. “(...) but in all likelihood this is a no. Given the timeframe, it’s unlikely Birmingham will make changes to their programme.”
CGF will aim to sit down with IOA officials in October to try and cajole them into changing their stance on participation. “There isn’t a timeframe but this will be after our General Assembly. The likely date is October.” The General Assembly, to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, will be skipped by IOA as a protest for not including shooting in 2022. Interestingly, the CGF does have the option of sanctioning IOA for skipping the Assembly but they want to avoid such a nuclear reaction.
“There are many options we could take but this is not something we are thinking at all. We are keen to speak to IOA face to face and hopefully resolve issues with them.” Curiously, the organisers gave ISSF the option of going ahead with two disciplines in one venue but the body rejected that proposal.
“The proposal was four disciplines (clay target, full bore, pistol and small bore). The panel offered ISSF the opportunity to submit an alternative proposal (most likely two disciplines based in one venue) but ISSF declined and decided to submit just one proposal with four sports, which was hugely costly.”