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Aberdeenshire sports chief welcomes possibility of shooting reprieve at 2022 Commonwealth Games

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A leading Aberdeenshire sports official has described the possible reinstatement of shooting at the 2022 Commonwealth Games as “great news” for talented competitors in the north east.

There had been fears that participation numbers and funding might dry up, following the decision by Birmingham Games organisers not to include shooting – and archery – on the schedule two years hence.

But now, India, which has a formidable record of winning medals in the sport and originally threatened to boycott the quadriennal competition, has submitted an unprecedented proposal to host the shooting and archery events.

The potential change will be considered by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in the coming weeks and, if it is approved, the results of the competitions in 2022 would count towards the official medal tally.

The proposal could be accepted by its executive board as soon as next month, and then put to a full vote of the CGF’s 71 member associations.

India has already agreed to pay for the cost of hosting the two competitions, which is thought to be as much as £20m.

Aberdeen shooter Neil Stirton won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.<br />Picture by KENNY ELRICK 27/04/2018

Jackie Smith, the chairwoman of Aberdeenshire Sports Council, had originally expressed sadness and frustration at the omission of the target sports from the proceedings in Birmingham.

And while she said yesterday she was pleased that a compromise might be in the pipeline, she still thinks a great chance to promote the sport could be squandered.

She said: “This is great news for our shooters, but it’s such a shame that the events could not be held at the national shooting centre in Bisley.

“I have attended championships there and it could definitely do with the huge investment which the Games would bring.”

Mrs Smith added that she hoped the news would mean potential north-east medal prospects, including her son, Brogan, and compatriots Abby Martin and Isobel Stark decided to pursue their dreams in the years ahead.

Mr Smith, 19, became the first-ever male to win the Scottish Junior Championship title in all three disciplines of small-bore target shooting in 2019.

He could soon be following in the footsteps of such previous medallists as Sheena Sharp from Torphins, who struck gold at the 2006 Games in Melbourne, and Aberdeen’s Neil Stirton, who achieved a gold and bronze in 2010 in New Delhi.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia, India’s formidable shooters accounted for 16 of their 66 medals, a haul which led to them finishing third in the overall standings.

They originally threatened to boycott the event, but there have been various discussions between different sports bodies since the original decision.

The idea, which has been backed by the Indian government and the two sports’ international federations, would see the action take place in either New Delhi or Chandigarh four months before the action gets under way in Birmingham.​