Disappointed at shooting axe, IOA says pulling out of 2022 CWG cannot be ruled out

Disappointed at dropping of shooting from 2022 Commonwealth Games,  Indian Olympic Association on Friday, June 21 said it will t be averse to taking an unprecedented step, including pulling out of multi-sporting event.

 Commonwealth Games Federation on Thursday, June 20 left out shooting from  2022 Birmingham Games in its Executive Board meeting while recommending inclusion of three new sports.

Former sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore h last year written to his British counterpart as well to CGF President, urging m to intervene and ensure that sport remains a part of 2022 edition.

CGF, however, h left it to host nation, in this case, England, to decide fate of shooting, which has always been an optional sport.

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decision to leave out shooting has dealt a big blow to India which h won as many as 16 medals out of 66 in 2018 Gold Coast CWG, and IOA said that pulling out of Games altoger cant be ruled out.

"Shooting is a big sport in India and for many shooters, CWG is a stepping stone to Olympics two years later. It is a big setback for shooting as well as Indian sport as a whole. We have me representations to CGF, and government has also done that, but still shooting has been left out," IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told PTI.

"We kw it is difficult w to overturn CGF decision but all is t lost still. We have one month's time (before inclusion of new sports is voted by all 71 CGF members). IOA Executive Council will take a decision within next two weeks and we are t averse to taking a major decision," he ded.

Asked if IOA could even contemplate pulling out of 2022 Birmingham CWG, Mehta said, "That cant be ruled out. We can even go to that extent."

Mehta said that IOA will again write to CGF in coming days, requesting a review of decision.

Last year, National Rifle Association of India president Raninder Singh h called for India to boycott  Birmingham Games if shooting sport is t included in roster.

IOA top brass will be attending International Olympic Committee's Congress in Switzerland from June 24-26, in which its chief Narinder Batra is set to be elected as a member, and Mehta said y will take a decision on shooting issue after that.

Shooting was one of five sports applied for 2022 CWG but it failed to find a place despite strong lobbying by  president Of International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President Vlimir Lisin.  sport has featured in every Commonwealth Games since 1966 with exception of Edinburgh 1970.

Mehta welcomed inclusion of women's T20 cricket in 2022 CWG but said BCCI will have to be first convinced about sending a team. It has refused to send teams in 2010 and 2014 Asian Games (played in T20 format in both men's and women's sections).

"We welcome inclusion of women's T20 cricket as we can expect a medal from it. But we have to deal with BCCI first as sending cricket teams has been an issue in  Asian Games. We have to sort it out first," Mehta said.