Kiren Rijiju pushes for inclusion of shooting in Birmingham CWG

Kiren Rijiju

India's Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has urged his British counterpart Nicky Morgan to have shooting included in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.'

The Birmingham organising committee have dropped shooting from the programme because of no suitable space, prompting a threat from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to boycott the Games.

In a letter on Tuesday, Rijiju asked Morgan, secretary of state for sport, to intervene and bring back a sport that has been part of the Commonwealth Games since 1974.

"It seems the decision to exclude shooting is based on the premise that shooting had never been a compulsory sport and there is no venue available for holding shooting events," Rijiju wrote to Morgan.

"The Indian public takes keen interest in shooting. In a constructive gesture, the International Shooting Federation (ISSF) has offered to share the cost for inclusion of shooting in Birmingham CWG."

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