BSSF urges for shooting’s inclusion in 2022 CWG

Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Abdullahel Baki urged authorities to restore shooting into the roster of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Birmingham, England.

The 2022 Games’ Organising Committee decided to drop the discipline from the games’ roster, citing security issues regarding movement of arms and ammunition.

“As a shooter I am sad that the discipline has been dropped from the Commonwealth Games. This was a regular medal event for us. This will be a big setback for us if it stays like this. However, I hope the discipline will be restored, if not in the 2022 edition, then in the next edition,” Baki told reporters at a programme at the Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation (BSSF) yesterday.

Baki won silver medals in 10m air rifle event of 2014 and 2018 edition and a bronze medal in 10m air rifle pairs event along with Asif Hossain Khan at the 2010 edition. In fact, shooting is the only discipline that has won medals for Bangladesh in this global sporting extravaganza, earning two gold, four silver and two bronze medals between 1990 and 2018.

The BSSF feels that there is still opportunity to restore the discipline in the 2022 Commonwealth Games roster, hence it has started campaigning for shooting’s inclusion after India and Australia – two of the superpowers of shooting at these games – did so.

“We are in contact with the National Rifle Association of India and Shooting Australia in this regard. It will be a big loss for Bangladesh if shooting is not included. The State Minister for Youth and Sports has already sent a letter to the authorities to the UK minister to consider shooting’s inclusion,” BSSF general secretary Enthekhabul Hamid told reporters.

Meanwhile, the BSSF spokesman appraised the reporters regarding its preparations for the upcoming South Asian Games and next year’s Olympic Games.

“We will send a shooting team to Qatar in November to the Asian Championship, which will be the last opportunity for earning Olympic quota places. We have sent Baki to Germany in July and he will go there again for training. There are a few shooters currently taking a one-month training in South Korea. All these are part of our preparation ahead of the Olympics. The South Asian Games is also in our agenda,” Hamid said.