No shooting in 2022 CWG, confirms CGF

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive David Grevemberg confirmed on Friday that shooting, classified as an optional sport, would not feature in the 2022 edition at Birmingham.

The British city was chosen last December, replacing Durban in South Africa which was stripped of the event because it failed to meet promises made.

"We know they (Birmingham organisers) considered all optional sports carefully, but a final decision was reached," Grevemberg wrote in an open letter to the editor of Britain's Shooting Times.

"The CGF has awarded the Games supporting these plans and consequently shooting will not feature at the 2022 Commonwealth Games."

Grevemberg, an American former wrestler who was chief executive of the 2014 Glasgow Games, recognised that would be disappointing for those who practised and followed the sport.

He said the CGF president would meet shooting's world governing body, the ISSF, to discuss future plans.

It will be the first time since Edinburgh 1970 that shooting, which became an optional sport for host cities after 2014, has not featured at a Commonwealth Games.

More than 27,000 people had signed a Shooting Times petition asking Grevemberg to ensure the sport was included.

The National Shooting Centre at Bisley in southern England hosted events for Manchester 2002 but Birmingham has said it wants a compact Games using existing venues chosen on accessibility.

Despite that, the track cycling events are set to be held in London.

The Birmingham decision has also gone down badly in India. Shooting has provided more than a quarter of India's total Commonwealth Games medals.