India has received the nod from the Commonwealth Games Federation to host the Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championship in January 2022 in Chandigarh. THE CGF has also agreed that the medals won in the Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championship will be included for the ranking of competitive countries in the games to be held in Birmingham. The medals of both these events, however, will be added to the final table one week after the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth Games Federation made this decision in a meeting of the Executive Board in London from 21 to 23 February. The decision is seen as a major victory for India, which warned of boycotting the 2022 Birmingham Games after the shooting was not included in the games.
The press release by CGF said, “A Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships is set to take place in India in 2022 after a proposal to stage the event was approved by the CGF Executive Board.”
The release further confirmed Chandigarh as the venue as the release said,
“The decision confirmed that Chandigarh 2022 and Birmingham 2022 will be two separate and funded Commonwealth Sports events.”
Further, giving clarification on medals won in the championship CGF release said,
“One week following the Closing Ceremony of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the CGF shall issue a medal table that includes results from the Chandigarh 2022 Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships, as a further and final legitimate ranking of competing nations and territories from the respective competitions.”
Earlier in July 2019, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) threatened to boycott the CGF 2022, to be held in Birmingham, in protest against the removal of shooting from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The IOA withdrew the boycott after the annual general assembly meeting in December following the visit of CGF President Luis Martin and Chief Executive Officer David Gravemberg to India in November.
The IOA then proposed to host archery with shooting on the condition that its medals be added to the 2022 Commonwealth Games table. India’s proposal was also supported by the International Shooting Sports Federation and World Archery.
