CGF CEO hopeful of shooting’s reintegration in CWG

BIRMINGHAM: Providing some relief to the Indian shooting fraternity, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) CEO Katie Sadleir on Thursday expressed optimism about reintegrating the sport into its programme before the 2026 edition in Australia.

Shooting, along with wrestling, disciplines in which India generally dominate, did not make it to the initial list of the 16 sports picked for the 2026 Games. However, hours before the 2022 Birmingham Games was to begin, Sadleir said that the disciplines would come up for discussion in September, before the final list is announced.

“We had recently announced an initial programme with 16 sports, with the definite ambition to grow that programme,” Sadleir said in a media conference. “There currently is an expression of interest out there. The international federations that are currently not in the programme have been invited to put forward their proposals for considerations, and shooting is definitely on the case,” she added.

Shooting, which accounted for 16 of the 66 medals India bagged at the Gold Coast Games four years ago, was omitted from the Birmingham Games, leading to a strong protest by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). A CWG medallist and an Olympian, Sadleir said that there is a strong wave of interest for the inclusion of the disciplines.

“I know there is a significant amount of social media going on in Australia. Plus, the international federation has made it clear that it is going to put forward a very strong case for consideration,” the Scotland-born New Zealander said.

“That will come for CGF consideration in September with the idea to have the final list of programmes to be announced by the end of the year. It is definitely not a decision-making point now, and we are working with the International Shooting Federation (ISSF) on what that may look like,” she said.