The National Rifle Association of India expressed disappointment with shooting not being on the initial list of sporting disciplines for the Commonwealth Games 2026 which will be played in Victoria in Australia. The Secretary-General of NRAI Kunwar Sultan Singh feels that India’s better performance than others is the reason why shooting got dropped from CWG 2026.
“We have been following it up. Actually, as far as the Commonwealth federation is concerned that is rooted through IOA and thankfully Indian Olympic Association has also been very strongly pursuing for having. There is no rhyme or reason for any cause for the federation to drop this sport. Maybe that we just overtook them on the medals score over throughout in this sport,” Kunwar Sultan Singh told ANI.
“So, the federation holders who do ever take it away and discontinued sporting activity which is very absurd. Australia should have all the facilities. We are very hopeful that they should include shooting as well as a competitive sport,” he added.
Australia have hosted Commonwealth Games in 2006 in Melbourne as well as in 2018 at Gold Coast recently and in both the events they had shooting as a sporting discipline.
In the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, India bagged 16 medals in shooting including seven gold, four silver and five bronze while in wrestling India won 12 medals which includes five gold, three silver and four bronze.
“Commonwealth Games even the last time around when it was held in Australia. They were trying to take shooting out and it was purely on the efforts of NRAI that we managed to include it and in fact hold it in India on behalf of the entire Commonwealth Championship but we can’t be successful every time,” said Senior Vice President of NRAI, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo.
“We have actually made an offer to the Commonwealth federation that the NRAI can hold the shooting part of the Commonwealth Games every time in India. It is upto the Commonwealth Games Federation to accept that,” he added.
Regarding the Asian Games, which were scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, before getting postponed due to COVID-19, the Senior Vice President said he is hopeful Team India will have a good campaign.
“In the Asian Games as well as the Olympic Games we feel we have a very strong chance of winning medals. I think time will prove that. Asian Games have shifted to the following year. We got to make our training scheduling calendars to match the event in such a manner that our prime athletes peak at the right time before the Asian Games,” said Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo.
