The Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships is a shooting championship for Commonwealth countries. Organised by the Commonwealth Shooting Federation, it is typically held as a test event for the Commonwealth Games to validate the preparations for the venue and technical officials. [1]
Shooting is an optional sport at the Commonwealth Games, but had been routinely included since 1974. In January 2018 it was confirmed that shooting would not feature in the 2022 Games programme, citing a lack of facilities near Birmingham. [2] [3] [4] In December 2018, a delegation including the International Shooting Sport Federation and British Shooting visited Birmingham and discussed the addition of shooting with the Birmingham Organising Committee. [5] This proposal was unsuccessful. [6] [7]
In January 2020, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) submitted a proposal to the CGF to host a combined archery and shooting championships in Chandigarh during January 2022. [8] [9] [10] The CGF Executive Board approved the proposal in February 2020, and also confirmed that the 2022 Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championships and the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be two separately organised and funded Commonwealth Sport events. [11] [12] [13] In July 2021, the CGF announced that the event had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. [14]
In July 2022, the organising committee for the Victoria Games released their programme, which also did not include shooting. India expressed strong disappointment, raising the matter during the Birmingham Games with visiting organisers from Victoria. [15] Shooting Australia submitted a proposal for shooting when the expression of interest period for additional sports opened. [16] [17] [18]
There is concern that if shooting is missed from two consecutive Games, it may cease to be a regular feature. CSF Championships could continue, but would be detached from any particular host as they would no longer represent a test event for the Games. This has also raised concerns over funding for both the Championships and participating teams as this has traditionally been drawn from Games budgets as part of preparations.
The ten Commonwealth nations in Europe have operated a CSF(ED) Championship since 1974, typically in any year where there is not a Commonwealth Games or full CSF Championship. [19] This serves to provide development shooters with experience of matches run to international standards.
Due to restrictive firearms laws in Great Britain, cartridge pistol events are generally run in another nation when England, Scotland or Wales host the Championship.
The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 as the British Empire Games and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, has successively run every four years since. The event was called the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and the British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974. The event removed the word British from its title for the 1978 Games and has maintained its current name ever since.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events. It also regulates several non-Olympic shooting sport events. The Federation's activities include regulation of the sport, managing Olympic qualification events and quota places, as well as organization of international competitions such as the ISSF World Cup series and ISSF World Championships.
The Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) is an international multi-sport event organized by the Commonwealth Games Federation. The games were held in the years, mid-way between when the Commonwealth Games are held, until 2008. They continued to be held every four years, but in the year after the Commonwealth Games are held, from 2011 to 2015. Since 2017, they've been held in the year before the Commonwealth Games are held. The first edition was held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 10–14 August 2000. The age limitation of the athletes is from 14 to 18.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), currently known as Commonwealth Sport, is the international organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, and is the governing body of the Commonwealth Games Associations (CGA). The headquarters of CGF are located in London, England.
The Commonwealth Games sports comprise all the sports officially recognised and approved by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). There are a total of 16 core sports and a further 4 core para-sports that are competed at every games. In addition, the CGF allow organising committees to choose from various optional sports and disciplines to complete their games' program.
William Chetcuti is a Maltese sport shooter who specializes in the double trap. He won the 2011 World Cup event in Beijing and the 2004 European Junior Championship where he set what is still a world record. He was the first Maltese shooter to win a World Cup medal.
Shooting sports have been contested at the Commonwealth Games at every games since 1966 with the exception of the 1970 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Rahi Jeevan Sarnobat is a female athlete from India who competes in the 25 metre pistol shooting event. She won her first gold medal at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. She is the first woman to win a gold medal in shooting at the Asian Games for India – she won the gold at the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games in the women's 25 metre pistol event. She won two gold medals in 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, the first of the two golds in coming in the 25 metre pistol pair event with Anisa Sayyed. She had previously won gold in the 25 metre pistol event at the 2008 Youth Commonwealth Games, which were held in India.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was founded on 17 April, 1951 with a view to promote and popularize the shooting sports in India as well as for self-defense teaching purposes. The NRAI arranges national-level shooting competitions and the trials that determine which athletes will represent the country in international events. It is also responsible for identifying and nurturing talented shooters who will compete in significant global competitions like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. The first speaker of Lok Sabha, Sh. G.V. Mavlankar founded the NRAI and served as its inaugural president. He was succeeded by Sh. Govind Vallabh Pant, Sh. Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sh. Y. B. Chauhan, Sh. G.S. Dhillon, and Sh. Joginder Singh. Sh. Raninder Singh took over the presidency in December 2010 and has held the position since.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Birmingham 2022, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations that took place in Birmingham, England between 28 July and 8 August 2022. It was the third and seventh time England and the United Kingdom hosted the Commonwealth Games, respectively.
The city of Durban, South Africa was initially elected as the host for the 2022 Commonwealth Games on 2 September 2015, at a General Assembly in Auckland, New Zealand. It was reported in February 2017 however, Durban may be unable to host the games due to financial constraints. On 13 March 2017, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) stripped Durban of their rights to host. On 21 December 2017, Birmingham was awarded for the 2022 Games as Durban's replacement host. Louise Martin, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, made the official announcement at a press conference at the Arena Academy in Birmingham.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXIII Commonwealth Games, is a planned multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The 2026 Commonwealth Games would be the first to be held during the reign of King Charles III.
Harry Creevy is a British sports shooter. Creevy represented Great Britain at three ISSF World Shooting Championships and 11 World Cups, as well as representing the Isle of Man at eight Commonwealth Games, multiple Commonwealth Shooting Championships and Island Games.
Anjum Moudgil is an Indian sport shooter. She is from Chandigarh and represents Punjab. She is supported by GoSports Foundation through the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme.
Margaret Thomas, is a female retired British sport shooter.
Bids for the Commonwealth Games is the process where Commonwealth Games Associations select from within their national territory cities to put forward bids to host a Commonwealth Games. Since the creation of the Commonwealth Games Federation in 1932, which successfully appropriated the name of the Inter-Empire Championships to create a modern sporting event for the members of the Commonwealth, interested cities have rivalled for selection as host of the Commonwealth Games.
There have been concerns and controversies about the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which were held in Birmingham, England.
India competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Birmingham, England from 28 July to 8 August 2022. It was India's 18th appearance at the Commonwealth Games.
An extensive bidding process for the 2026 Commonwealth Games began in 2018, and ended in 2022 with the announcement of the state of Victoria, Australia being the host. The host city was to be announced in 2019 in Rwanda, but was cancelled over lack of interest. The winning bid was announced by Dame Louise Martin, head of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
Shooting competitions were confirmed for the 2026 Commonwealth Games programme, that was to be held in Victoria, Australia. In July 2023, Victoria announced it had cancelled its plans to host the games citing an escalation in its cost projections relative to initial estimations. The Games were scheduled to take place from the 17 to 29 March 2026. As of July 2023, the Commonwealth Games Federation were seeking a new host.