It seems that shooting sports have been excluded from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, apparently due to the lack of a suitable venue.
This will be the first time since 1970 that this historic sport has not appeared at the Games. The BBC reported that the exclusion was due to a "lack of adequate facilities" near the host city.
The Bisley Shooting Ground in Surrey, which hosted the Manchester Games in the 2002, could be the solution but was considered too far, despite plans for track cycling to be held in London.
Bisley is located 129 miles from the Birmingham office. Commonwealth Champion Laetisha Scanlan commented: “I was shocked by the news and it is really surprising that there are plans not to include this sport, especially in a country where the sport is thriving.
From a spokesman for the UK shooting: “British Shooting would like to congratulate Birmingham on being announced as a host city and what a great opportunity for British athletes to compete on national soil.
“However, we are disappointed that there are plans to exclude the sport from the Birmingham games. It will be a huge disappointment not only for international shooters, but for the entire Commonwealth as well.
“From a national point of view, UK countries regularly secure around 30 medals in shooting sports, and it would seem strange that the UK itself ignores this opportunity for such widespread, almost written success.
"We hope there is still time and an opportunity for the shooting community to dialogue with CGF and Birmingham to ensure that our sport is included in the games."
Ed Solomons, former FITASC sports world champion, commented: “Personally I think it's a real shame that the shots, one of our best hopes for medals, have been cut by the games.
"We have fantastic facilities in Bisley that could be easily used (I believe other events are held offsite and further away than Bisley) with easy access from transport links."
Internationally, it was decided to start a petition for the sector employees. Petition to ask the Commonwealth Games Federation to reconsider this decision.