Fire!: Jory not out on India any longer
SHOOTING and archery have finally secured their spot at the next Commonwealth Games – even though it will be out in India and some six months before the main Birmingham action.
In approving a controversial proposal from sports governance of India, who earlier threatened a boycott if the sports were excluded, the Commonwealth Games Federation have confirmed a host venue of Chandigarh.
The event will unfold under the alternative title of the Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships.
Guernsey Rifle Club’s Peter Jory is certainly not apprehensive about travelling to India with the shooting fraternity, having carried the island’s flag at Delhi 2010, one of his several Commonwealth appearances.
‘If they are holding the event and they are accepting entries from everybody else, we will be only too willing to come forward, I am sure,’ said Jory.
But the standout full-bore shooter remains conscious that his focal discipline does not necessarily have to feature on the programme.
‘At this time, we still don’t know the exact format... we can only hope.’
Jory remains confident of a good Games experience given, in his words, the ‘quite a sizeable budget’ of £20m. allocated to staging shooting and archery.
That the event will take place outside the capital territory and therefore at an unfamiliar venue is ultimately of little concern.
‘I thought Delhi was a prime target because they have held it there before and things were all in place in 2010, but we will be 10 years on and it will be 12 by the time it takes place,’ added Jory.
‘They are holding international competition on ISSF rules, and the facilities will have to be pretty top notch. They have got to be compliant to the standards of the sport.’
The CGF’s decision means that Chandigarh 2022 and Birmingham 2022 will function as two separately organised and funded events. However, as earlier announced, any medals gained in India will contribute to the final table.
