London: Unfazed by India's boycott threat, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Chief Louise Martin said that shooting will not be a part of the 2022 Birmingham edition. For the first time since 1974, shooting has been excluded from the Games roster due to logistical issues but the CGF president maintained that shooting has never been a compulsory sport in the Games. "A sport has to earn the right to be in the Games," Martin told Britain's 'Daily Telegraph'.
"Shooting has never been a compulsory sport. We have to work through it but shooting will not be in the Games. We have no space anymore." Shooting has always been one of India's strong points in the Commonwealth Games with the discipline yielding seven gold medals including 16 podium finishes at the last edition in Gold Coast. Protesting the move, India has threatened to boycott the 2022 Games. The country's Olympic body (IOA) President Narinder Batra has sought approval from Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in this regard.
According to the report, Birmingham's had offered to hold two shooting events but the offer was rejected by International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), which wanted a full program.
