The Executive Council of the Indian Olympic Association will meet next month to take a final decision on its boycott call of 2022 Commonwealth Games, its Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said on Saturday.
The IOA had proposed to boycott the 2022 Birmingham CWG in protest against the dropping of shooting from its roster and requested the sports ministry for its views.
“We have noted the views of some of our sportspersons and some NSFs are also asserting their right to participate in the Commonwealth Games. In the light of all these, our Executive Council will meet next month and take a decision on the matter,” Mehta told PTI .
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Mehta, however, refuted allegations that IOA has not taken up the case of shooting in an amendment of the constitution of the Commonwealth Games Federation pertaining to the composition of compulsory sports at the 2015 General Assembly.
He said the IOA had backed the amendment as it included sports like wrestling, table tennis and gymnastics - in which India is strong - among compulsory sports. He added that the IOA’s support to that amendment has no relation with shooting.
“In the 2015 CGF Assembly, the IOA backed an amendment which related to compulsory sports and so not related to shooting. The amendment included wrestling, table tennis and gymnastics among compulsory sports and cricket included among optional sports. India seconded the amendment as it had many positive aspects,” Mehta said.
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“Earlier the choice of optional sports was restricted to seven but the 2015 amendment to Article 22 (Sports in the Programme for CWG) removed the cap in the number of optional sports also.
“Shooting was never a compulsory sport in Commonwealth Games. It has always been an optional sport but at the same time has been a part of every CWG since 1966 with the exception of 1970 in Edinburgh. The CGF Constitution of 2005 and 2014 mentions shooting as a choice of the host. In 2010 Delhi CWG also, shooting was an optional sport,” he added.
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