Meeting was productive, shooting issue to look into, says IOA president Batra

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra had a productive meeting with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CWF) CEO David Grevemberg and president Louise Martin and discussed the issue of shooting with them on Thursday.

"We had a good productive meeting there is no doubt about it. Shooting issue is looked into and addressed into, the chapter is not closed. We have to get to our seniors with what the discussions are today, will take their views and then will go general assembly. After that we go to the government," Batra told reporters.

"We had a detailed meeting in IOA office with 11 members of our executive board and members from CWG. We had a detailed discussion on all the issues relating from shooting, our representation in committees, and our concerns on withdrawal. The meeting ended on a good note. After lunch we had a meeting with Sports Minister in Sports Authority of India (SAI) office that also went on about an hour and so," he added.

India have decided to withdraw from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to the exclusion of the shooting from it.

"It is an optional sport, nothing we can do about it and it is about affordability and how it can be shown on TV in terms of mass connect. We will actively work together to find some solution in the lead up to 2022. We will be taking it up with ISSF and taking up with them the results of shooting in CWG over the years," Grevemberg said.

Rajiv Mehta Secretary-General of IOA said that the inclusion of shooting in the CWG event depends upon the host city.

"Today we discussed the matter of shooting. All the discussion was very fruitful. We express all the questions from my president and David has given a good answer about the shooting. Shooting is the optional game from the last 74 years and when we have organised the 2010 Commonwealth Games that time too shooting was an optional game. That depends on the host city contract," Mehta said.