No shooting, wrestling and archery at 2026 Commonwealth Games
Representational Image.
|(Twitter)
In a major development, India's strongest sports at a global level, shooting, wrestling, and archery, won't be a part of the 2026 Victoria Commonwealth Games. The Games are scheduled to take place in March 2026 across multiple cities including Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, and Gippsland.
A list of 16 sports, including Twenty20 cricket, has been put forward. But surprisingly, major attractions like shooting and wrestling, sports, and archery have not been included. NRAI secretary-general, Kunwar Sultan Singh called the decision as being without any “logic or reasoning".
“It’s disheartening, shocking and utterly illogical to exclude shooting from the CWG for the second successive edition. It’s unfair on shooters preparing worldwide for such a major multi-sport event. I would request the Indian government and the IOA to take up the matter with the concerned authorities in the CGF to get the sport included in the Games programme for Victoria 2026," Singh told TOI.
“A concerted effort is needed on the part of the government and IOA to get this decision reversed. United World Wrestling must do something to ensure that wrestling gets its deserved spot back in the CWG." TOI quoted a Wrestling Federation of India official.
In the previous edition, Indian wrestlers had won 12 medals, including five golds, while shooters had won 16. As far as archery is concerned, it wasn't a part of the last two editions, and back in 2010, India bagged five medals in the discipline.
Meanwhile, Australia has staged a host of editions of the Games, starting from Sydney in 1938, Perth in 1962, Brisbane in 1982, and most recently Gold Coast in 2018. CGF President Dame Louise Martin said: “The Commonwealth Games Federation is absolutely delighted to award the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Victoria.
“Commonwealth Games Australia and the Victorian Government have set out a bold and innovative vision for hosting our major multi-sport event. In Victoria, we believe we have found the perfect partner for the next stage of our journey."
