Major Sports Missing From Commonwealth Games 2022

Indian have done well in these sports in the past.

Commonwealth Games are just a few weeks away and Indian athletes are ready for the competition. India finished third in the last edition and will look to continue their top performance in the upcoming edition of the tournament.

India has done fairly well in Commonwealth Games as in other multi-sport events. In the last edition of the competition, Indian athletes won a total of 66 medals including 26 gold medals. Australia came first in the medal tally with 80 gold medals and second was England with a total of forty-five.

Fans have a lot of hopes from the Indian athletes to deliver once again at one of the biggest stages. However, things won't be easy for India this time as many sports will not feature in the upcoming edition. Let's take a look at some major sports that are missing out on the Commonwealth Games 2022:

Greco-Roman Wrestling

Wrestling has been a part of the Commonwealth Games for a long time. The sport made its debut in the first edition of the Commonwealth Games in 1930. However, only freestyle wrestling has regularly been a part of the multi-sporting event.

Greco-roman wrestling has always found it tough to find a place in the competition. It was included during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Indian Greco-Roman wrestlers did well in the tournament and won many medals for their country. India won four gold medals in seven different weight categories in the event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi.

However, the wrestlers faced disappointment in the very next edition as Greco-Roman wasn't included in the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. Things were the same for them in 2018 at Gold Coast and the event won't be taking place in Birmingham too. Only freestyle Indian wrestlers are participating in the upcoming edition of the tournament as they look to bring glory to India.

Lawn Tennis

Lawn Tennis made its debut at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 in Delhi. Being one of the most famous sports in the world, the sport only made its introduction in 2010

However, authorities didn't include Lawn Tennis in the competition for the next two editions and it won't be available at the Games this year as well. India has a good group of Lawn tennis players who have done well among Commonwealth nations and would have won a few medals in the upcoming edition of the tournament.

Archery

Indian archers have a lot of potential to win medals on the international stage. They have done it time and time again in the World Cup but they won't be able to show their skills in Birmingham 2022 as the sport hasn't been included in the upcoming edition.

Archery is one of the optional sports at the quadrennial competition. It has been a Commonwealth Games sport since 1982 but has only featured twice in the competition's history - the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 edition in New Delhi. India had won eight medals in Archery including three gold medals during the New Delhi edition and the fans will miss their favourite players at Birmingham.

Shooting

India suffered a big jolt when the hosts dropped Shooting from its sporting discipline due to logistical issues. In January 2020, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which also functions as a member of the Commonwealth Games Association representing India, submitted a proposal to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to host shooting championships in Chandigarh in January 2022.

The proposal was endorsed by the National Rifle Association of India, the Government of India, the International Shooting Sport Federation and World Athletics. The CGF Executive Board approved the proposal at their meeting in London which took place on 21–23 February 2020. They also confirmed that shooting will be separately organised and funded by Commonwealth Sports events.

The CGF had to issue a medal table one week following the Birmingham 2022 closing ceremony that includes results from Chandigarh 2022 as a further and final ranking of competing nations and territories from the respective competitions. However, in July 2021, the CGF announced that the event had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The move got a lot of backlash from Indian shooters but they couldn't influence the decisions of those in power.

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