Most shooters are aware that Shooting is not scheduled to be part of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 which is a major problem for the whole sport irrespective of your discipline.
A parliamentary debate is due to take place on Wednesday 27 June 2018 at 11.00am raising this issue.
Please canvas your local MP now and tell them your views. DON'T LEAVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE!
The more pressure we can create the more seriously it will be taken.
The following (taken from Commonwealth Games Australia’s response) are pertinent to the argument:
- Shooting has been included on every Commonwealth Games program since 1966 with the exception of Edinburgh 1970;
- In Glasgow 2014, 352 athletes (227 men and 125 women) from 40 nations/territories were represented in Shooting events;
- In Glasgow there were eight CGAs where Shooting athletes represented 25% or more of their total delegation; Bangladesh (27%), Falkland Islands (42%), Gibraltar (30%), Isle of Man (25%), Maldives (no longer a Commonwealth nation) (25%), Norfolk Island (29%), Niue (27%) and Saint Helena (50%). The omission of Shooting will have a significant impact on the participation of these CGAs and threaten the CGF’s strong stance of universality of representation from across the Commonwealth;
- Recent developments have seen the Commonwealth Games Movement become more inclusive. An increased para sport program and gender equality in the number of medal events are just two recent examples of where this inclusiveness is most evident.
- An added element of previous Games which is not always recognised or celebrated is the role of Shooting in providing competition opportunities for athletes of all ages. Shooting, like no other sport, provides for the participation of more mature athletes.
- The Commonwealth Games program is a showcase of sports which require athletes to have different skills and attributes. The power of the weightlifters and powerlifters, the grace and dexterity of the gymnasts and the endurance of the marathoners, cyclists and triathletes are just a small number of examples. With the omission of Shooting from the program there will be no sport which provides the ultimate test of precision and concentration.
The link to watch the debate is:
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/commons