CGF may okay India plan to hold CWG shooting
NEGOTIATIONS C’wealth body seeks final proposal from Indian federation
NEWDELHI: Shooting, left out of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games despite leading contenders India’s protests and boycott threat, is likely to still be part of the programme. Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has agreed to consider a joint proposal by India and world shooting body, ISSF, to stage the competition in India and add the medals to the Games tally.
The CGF has asked the Indian shooting federation to make a formal submission by early next month, to be taken up by the its sports committee first and then its Board for approval. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has offered to foot the bill for the event.
The 2022 Games organisers had dropped shooting—an optional sport for the hosts— from the programme, and their choices—basketball, judo, gymnastics, table tennis and wrestling are the optional sports besides 16 core events—were confirmed by CGF in January, 2018. CGF CEO, David Grevemberg, had explained then: “Our shared ambition is to broaden the pipeline of Commonwealth cities and nations wishing to realise the benefits of a Games—and to do that we must give our hosts the scope to propose and deliver their Games.”
The Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) boycott threat was followed by a visit by CGF president Louise Martin to India last month. She met top officials of IOA and NRAI. NRAI president Raninder Singh met ISSF president Vladimir Lisin and CGF officials in Munich on December 5 where the joint proposal from NRAI-ISSF to host shooting thousands of kilometres from the Games city was discussed. Raninder, also an ISSF vice-president who has been involved in the negotiations, is confident the proposal will be cleared by CGF.
“We are currently preparing the proposal to forward to CGF for examination on merits. Therefore, while we are supremely optimistic at this proposal’s fate, it is to be clearly understood that this proposal is yet to be examined upon its merits by CGF and assessed on various facets to its satisfaction, before they can and shall arrive at any decision on it,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Louise Martin, in a letter to IOA president, Narinder Batra, on Tuesday acknowledged receipt of the proposal by NRAI and shooting’s world body to hold ‘Commonwealth shooting event’ and asked for the final proposal to be made involving the Indian government and NRAI. The proposal to hold the event, ahead of the main Games, will be discussed at the IOA AGM on December 30, Batra said. IOA secretary-general Rajeev Mehta told HT the proposal has been made keeping in mind “the medals are counted in the 2022 Games tally.”
In a letter to Batra on Tuesday, Raninder said the offer is made on the assumption that “...medals awarded at this proposed event being accorded equal protocol as any medals won by a competing nation at the main event conducted later in the Birmingham CWG. In essence these medals would be treated in nature as an opening balance for each competing nation to build upon by competing in those other events in Birmingham,” he added.
Singh requested Batra “to permit, assist and support the NRAI seeking administrative approval from the Government of India at the earliest possible opportunity.” He said the event will be held from March 14, 2022, coinciding with the Commonwealth Day. The venue is yet to be finalised. The CWG will be held from July 27-August 7.
The cost of the event will be borne by NRAI, Singh’s letter to Batra says. “... The NRAI is willing to provide eligible athletes and their accompanying coaches/staff for this event, exclusively at its own expense; Airfare to & from the venue, Quality Hotel Lodgings, Meals, All Local Transportation, Adequate Free Training.
“The organising committee of the Birmingham Games shall in no direct or indirect manner be responsible for the conduct or financing of this proposed event and the vice-verse would be applicable in equal measure,” said Raninder.