Shooting has not been "scrapped" from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the CGF said today, insisting that the sport continues to remain in the optional category.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) CEO David Grevemberg refuted reports that shooting has been dropped from the 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 the 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.
Even though shooting remains an "optional sport", Grevemberg termed reports of its scrapping 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.
If shooting is axed from the Games roster, it would come as a massive blow to India, which has done quite well in the sport. India is second in the CWG's all-time medal list for shooting, having 118 medals so far -- 56 of them gold.
