Following India's proposed plan to boycott the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Australia is also likely to follow suit, if shooting is not included in the programme of the quadrennial event.
In June this year, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had decided to scrap shooting from CWG. If that happens, CWG will be held sans shooting for the first time since Edinburgh 1970.
The move had left India fuming, forcing ace shooter Heena Sidhu, Olympian Joydeep Karmakar and World University champion Gauri Sheoran, among others, to raise a call, supporting IOA's plan to boycott the games.
READ: IOA to take final decision on 2022 CWG boycott in September
Shooters Union Australia (SUA), a lobby group claiming to represent thousands of firearm owners and enthusiasts across Australia, which is affiliated to the National Rifle Association in the US, is also en route to boycott the 2022 CWG.
Australia had won nine medals, including three golds, in shooting at the Gold Coast CWG in 2018, the second-highest tally after India.
SUA President Graham Park said: “Australia should stand with India in demanding the shooting events be returned to the 2022 Commonwealth Games line-up, and be prepared to carry through with a boycott if they are not.
“Australia is well-known for their sporting talents at the global stage and arbitrarily denying the top shooters gives our athletes the message that ‘the government doesn’t think your sport matters’, it dramatically lowers our potential medal count and thus our national prestige.”
Jan Linsley, former manager of Australia’s CWG shooting team, said the excuse that there was no suitable venue close to Birmingham to host the sport, was not credible.
"The decision not to include shooting in Birmingham would directly impact the development and future of Australian shooters," Linsley added.
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