CWG 2026: Shooting is back, wrestling and archery disqualified

By Team NewsableFirst Published Oct 5, 2022, 12:48 PM IST
Highlights

The final list of sports to feature in the Commonwealth Games 2026 has been announced. Shooting has made its way back after missing out in Birmingham 2022, while wrestling and archery have been disqualified.

Shooting will make its much-awaited to the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) roster in Victoria, Australia. However, wrestling has been dropped in India's bitter-sweet turn of events. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) on Wednesday revealed the complete sports programme for the Victoria 2026 CWG, which would feature 20 sports and 26 disciplines, including nine fully integrated para-sports. The return of shooting, which was controversially declined from the Birmingham CWG earlier this year, is a welcome consequence for India. Shooting has been India's most powerful sport in the CWG, with 135 medals (63 golds, 44 silvers and 28 bronze). Wrestling is in the third spot, with 114 (49 golds, 39 silvers and 26 bronze) medals.

In the 2018 Gold Coast edition, Indian shooters bested 16 medals -- 25% of the country's total medal haul of 66 -- with seven golds, four silvers and five bronze. The addition of para-shooting in the 2026 CWG will also add to India's medal count. But, the absence of wrestling that has delivered the most medals -- 12 (six golds, a silver, five bronze) at the Birmingham Games is a significant loss. The sport has been plunged after featuring in four consecutive Games since 2010.

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On the other hand, archery has featured only twice in the CWG -- in 1982 and 2010 -- and India is placed second in the all-time medal calculation for the sport. In April, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had written to the CGF to include shooting, wrestling and archery in the 2026 CWG, describing their drop from the initial list as "shocking".

Golf, 3x3 Basketball, 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball, Coastal Rowing, Shooting, Para-Shooting, BMX Racing, Mountain Bike Cross Country, Track Cycling and Para-Cycling Track have been added to the roster. At the same time, Coastal Rowing, Golf, and BMX will make their CWG debut. "Victoria 2026 is also proposing to add in Para disciplines in Golf, Coastal Rowing and the Road Race and will work with the Commonwealth Games Federation and relevant international sporting federations to determine if this is possible," a CGF release stated.

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It is estimated that the CWG will donate more than $3 billion to Victoria's economy, creating more than 600 full-time peer jobs before the Games, 3,900 jobs during the Games and 3,000 jobs beyond the Closing Ceremony. CGF President Louise Martin said, "The Games are set to be competitive and action-packed, featuring an extensive, fully integrated Para-Sport Program, the debuts of Coastal Rowing, Golf and BMX, the return of Shooting and the scintillating 3x3 Basketball."

"The Programme is rooted in the CGF's 2026-30 Strategic Roadmap, which provides hosts with greater flexibility to propose new sports, especially ones with specific local relevance that will enhance cultural showcasing and increase community engagement," added Martin. The 2026 CWG will be orchestrated from March 17-29 in the Australian state of Victoria across multiple cities and regional hubs, which include Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland. The Opening Ceremony will happen at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

(With inputs from PTI)

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Last Updated Oct 5, 2022, 12:48 PM IST