Harry likes look of India proposal

India’s Olympic Association has put forward a proposal to host both precision sports four months before the main Birmingham 2022 event, with results counting towards the official medal tally.

This would remedy an earlier situation in which India threatened to boycott the Games following shooting’s initial exclusion.

While not yet set in stone, the arrangement has caught the eye of Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive David Grevemberg, who called it an ‘innovative proposal with the ambition of strengthening Commonwealth sport’.

Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association chairman David Harry backed this view and commented on the possibility of it making ‘two-centre’ Games a viable future option, though preferably in closer proximity.

Harry therefore gave a firm ‘yes’ when asked if he would vote in favour of the proposal.

‘We were very disappointed when shooting was not included in Birmingham 2022,’ he said.

‘It’s one of the sports that the Commonwealth Games Association of Guernsey has traditionally done well in, so to lose one of our best medal chances because of the position of the organisers was not good for us.’

Guernsey Rifle Club’s Peter Jory added: ‘If it manages to obtain the status they are hoping for, I am sure Guernsey shooters will be keen to enter the event.

‘When they had the 2010 Games in India, it was a great event. They have got the possibility that they could do it, they’ve got the provisions, and it’s a question of whether they will be allowed to do it.’

But Jory is conscious of several caveats, including the fact that India could theoretically stage only its favoured disciplines and gain an advantage ahead of the main Games.

India has offered to pay the estimated £20m. cost to stage the competitions and an official review is likely to take place in coming weeks.