Shooting sports will be part of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 after all, thanks to a commitment from India
A solution that will finally resolve the issues surrounding shooting at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 has been found after a year of negotiations.
Shooting had been removed from the 2022 list of sports by the Birmingham Committee, as members felt there was no local venue to host the sport and the proposed location for shooting, at Bisley in Surrey, “offered little or no benefit to the West Midlands”.
Over the past 12 months the International Shooting Sport Federation proposed several options to see the return of shooting sports to the 2022 Games programme.
Following a meeting in Munich between ISSF president Vladimir Lisin and Commonwealth Games Federation president Dame Louise Martin, it was agreed that India will commit to hosting the shooting competitions – a decision that has the full support of both the Indian government and the National Rifle Association of India.
Medals won in these competitions will be counted in the medal standings of the countries participating in the Games, and any world records in events recognised by the ISSF will be recorded both in the qualifications and finals.
Shooting has been included in every Games apart from 1966, but it is not designated as one of the event’s core sports, so is optional. India has a long heritage in shooting, which made up most of its medal haul and it had threatened to pull out the Games if it was not included.
The ISSF will guarantee full compliance with the rules and regulations of the sport, and will also provide all the necessary technical support. In addition, it was proposed to expand the competition programme by including four Mixed Team events, three of which are already included in the programme for this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
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