Indian Olympic Association ends boycott threat, to take part in 2022 CWG

Ending months of speculation, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday withdrew its 2022 Commonwealth Games withdrawal threat and said that the Indian contingent will compete in the quadrennial games to be held in Birmingham.

IOA secretary-general, Rajiv Mehta, said after the national Olympic committee’s (NOC) annual general meeting that, “We will not boycott the Commonwealth Games,” adding that IOA will bid for either the 2026 or 2030 CWG.

Since shooting discipline, which has contributed nearly 25 per cent of the medals India have won in the last five editions since the 2002 Manchester Games, was excluded from the Birmingham Games, the IOA had threatened to pull out in protest.

But “on the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)”, IOA will submit a proposal to host a Commonwealth Shooting Championships before the main competition in Birmingham. “We have all the details (about hosting the Commonwealth Shooting Championships) from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) and will officially send a proposal to the CGF next week,” said Mehta.

The proposal to hold a separate shooting competition—a first in the history of CWG— was mooted by NRAI and International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) recently as the sport had been excluded from the 2022 edition of the CWG.

In July, the IOA in its communication to the sports ministry had proposed boycotting the 2022 CWG to protest shooting’s exclusion. However, last month CGF president Louise Martin and CEO David Grevemberg visited India to discuss the issue with IOA. The meeting “was positive”, with the IOA reconsidering its pullout threat provided a separate competition for shooting was conducted and medals won thereof be counted in the final CWG medals tally.

However at this moment, it’s not known whether the IOA has got the green signal from the CGF that medals won in the proposed shooting tournament would be added to India’s overall 2022 CWG tally. “Things are moving on the right path. That’s all we can say at this moment,” Mehta told HT.

After the IOA meeting on Monday, Martin, in a press release posted on the CGF website, said: “The entire Commonwealth Sport Movement are delighted India has confirmed the intent to participate at the Birmingham 2022 CWG. Following a useful and constructive CGF visit to India in November, we felt confident and reassured that the athletes and sports community of India places huge value and importance on the CWG and Commonwealth Sport Movement.”

On the bidding process for either the 2026 or 2030 Commonwealth Games, Mehta said, “We will approach the government for the necessary clearances to host the multi-sport event.

“We are delighted that India have expressed an ambition to host another Commonwealth Games in the future,” the CGF release said. India had hosted the 2010 edition of the Games in New Delhi. However, the event was marred by controversies. Since then, the IOA hasn’t bid for major multi-discipline competitions. The CGF will hold a meeting next year to announce the host city for the 2026 Games.

During the IOA AGM on Monday, another resolution was passed to request the CGF to give India the hosting rights for the Commonwealth Archery Championships.

The IOA is also in the process of submitting the final bid for hosting the IOC session in 2023 in Mumbai to the International Olympic Committee.