Secretary general Rajeev Mehta announces India will participate in Commonwealth Games at Birmingham despite shooting not being part of the event; now plan to bid for either 2026 or 2030
A file picture of the men's 50m pistol event of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. Pic/Getty Images
New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association on Monday withdrew its threat to boycott the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over shooting's exclusion while announcing that the country will bid to host either the 2026 or the 2030 edition.
During its Annual General Meeting here, the IOA, on the advice of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), also decided to submit a formal proposal to host a Commonwealth Shooting Championships before the main Games, an idea mooted by both the national and international shooting bodies to make up for the sport's exclusion from 2022 CWG.
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"In the AGM, we have taken back the decision to withdraw from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Our country's contingent will go for the 2022 CWG," IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta told a press conference after the AGM.
Rajeev Mehta
CGF President Dame Louise Martin welcomed India confirming participation at the Birmingham Games. "The CGF and the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement are delighted India has confirmed their intent to participate at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games during their Annual General Meeting in New Delhi," Louise Martin said in a press release.
In New Delhi, with IOA chief Narinder Batra by his side, Mehta said, "We are also bidding for either the 2026 or 2026 Commonwealth Games. The House passed a resolution on this bid. The country's apex body for Olympic sports will next approach the government for necessary clearance to host the multi-sport event. The country hosted the 2010 edition in the national capital, the build-up to which was marred by one controversy after another. "We will go to the government after this approval by the AGM. It is for the government to decide finally," Mehta added.
The host city of the 2026 Games was supposed to be finalised at the 2019 CGF General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda, but was postponed, and will now be announced next year.
In July, Batra had written to the Sports Ministry, proposing boycott of the 2022 CWG for dropping shooting from its roster.
After a visit by CGF president Louise Martin and CEO David Grevemberg last month to India, Batra had indicated that the IOA may reconsider the withdrawal call and had said at the time that a decision will be taken at the AGM. It was, however, not clear if the IOA had got any assurance from the CGF on whether medals won in the proposed shooting tournament will be added to India's final tally in the 2022 CWG.
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