Shooting Dropped From Birmingham 2022 CWG

Shooting will not be featured at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.GETTY IMAGES

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg backed Birmingham's decision to "drop shooting from the 2022 Games," according to the BBC. Grevemberg confirmed on Friday that shooting -- "an optional sport for host cities" -- would not be featured. Shooting has been contested at every CWG since Kingston 1966, with the exception of Edinburgh 1970. Almost 30,000 people "have signed a Shooting Times petition asking the CGF to reconsider the decision." Each host city of the Games "must include a minimum 16 core sports" from the CGF's program but can "then pick additional sports from an optional list." Birmingham announced it will be "staging basketball, judo, gymnastics, table tennis and wrestling from the optional list." It is expected to "also add archery, track cycling and women's T20 cricket" to the program. England will field a squad of 20 shooters at this year's CWG on Australia's Gold Coast (BBC, 1/19).