Statement of Mr. Raninder Singh, President, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Executive Board approving the hosting of the Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships in Chandigarh in 2022


New Delhi, Feb 24, 2020: The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in a meeting of its Executive Board in London held between February 21-23, 2020, approved the hosting of a Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships in Chandigarh, India in January, 2022.

Their official press release said, “The decision confirmed that Chandigarh 2022 and Birmingham 2022 will be two separately organised and funded Commonwealth Sport events.” It also said, “One week following the Closing Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the CGF shall issue a medal table that includes results from the Chandigarh 2022Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships, as a further and final legitimate ranking of competing nations and territories from the respective competitions.”

In constant touch with Dame Louis Martin, President, CGF, and its CEO, Mr. David Grevemberg, who conveyed the news to the President, NRAI, Mr. Singh shared the following statement on his own behalf, on the development.

“I have the honour to report that the proposal submitted by CGI (Commonwealth Games India) and forwarded by them for approval by the CGF Executive Board, which met two days ago in London, where we sought their approval to hold a Shooting and Archery competition in Chandigarh in Jan’2022 has been accepted. Within a maximum of a week of the closing ceremony concluding in Birmingham, the CGF shall release a medal table aggregating the results from both separate events, that would convey a further and final legitimate ranking of all competing nations and territories.

This is a path-breaking and innovative approach that the CGF is piloting in partnership with CGI, the NRAI and the Archery Federation of India; which meets the requirements of all stakeholders, especially those of our Commonwealth Shooting and Archery athletes.

I laud the leadership of Dame Louis Martin, President, CGF, and its CEO, the hardworking David Grevemberg, who have shown such an openness and engulfing leadership in accepting such a proposal, that is admittedly against their grain. Indian and Commonwealth Shooting and Archery applaud you.

The NRAI and all its brother and sister Commonwealth National Shooting federations, clearly and unambiguously acknowledge the deep commitment and sincere efforts of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), in particular those of its President, Mr. Vladimir Lisin, and its Secy-General, Mr. Alexander Ratner, who consistently made every effort to facilitate a settlement amongst the Commonwealth family to the vexed issue of the exclusion of Shooting from CWG 2022.

Hitherto unknown and withheld is the information, that without the participation of the ISSF and its President and Secy-General on the sidelines of its General Assembly in the first week of December 2019 in Munich, a detailed protocol was arrived at between the ISSF, the CGF, the NRAI and the Commonwealth Games Shooting Federation (CGSF), where the NRAI was represented by its President and Senior Vice-President, the CGSF was represented by Mr. Harry Murphy of Gibraltar and the CGF was represented by its President Dame Louis Martin and its CEO, Mr. D. Grevemberg. A detailed understanding on the future relationship of the ISSF working in close conjunction with the CGF was arrived at. These proceedings were also attended by and contributed towards by the President of the Cyprus Shooting Federation and Australian Shooting Federation.

From this detailed and minuted understanding arrived at between the ISSF and CGF, evolved the solution put forward by the NRAI for the benefit of all Commonwealth Shooting National Federations and athletes.

We have to also sincerely thank our super supportive Minister, Shri. Kieren Rijiju and its team comprising of Shri. R.S.Julaniya, Secretary Sports, and Shri. Sandeep Pradhan, Director-General, Sports Authority of India (SAI), for wholeheartedly supporting Indian shooting when the nights were dark and cold. Their firm leadership was a beacon of light to us. Indian and Commonwealth Shooting and Archery thanks you.

What most will not know is the immense contribution of Lord Colin Moynihan (former sports minister of UK) and my Nobel Lord, Lord Karan Bilimoria and not least Mr. Alister Jack, the current, Secretary of the State of Scotland, who unreservedly and completely took up the fight in both Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom and reached out to all stakeholders to the benefit of the sports of  Shooting and Archery and most importantly for the then affected athletes.

At the same time the contribution of the IOA/CGI President, Shri. Narinder Dhruv Batra (Member IOC), and under his leadership as Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President, that of his Secretary General Shri. Rajiv Mehta, has played a key and decisive role in this happening. The President’s firm approach and stand was warm solace to us- the sports of Shooting and Archery that were omitted from the Birmingham edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Their forthright and frank exchange of views with the Commonwealth Games Federation as well as with the Indian Olympic family and most importantly the Government of India, was a pillar of strength to NRAI and AFI. We are sincerely grateful and laud the IOA’s leadership.

Personally, I would be devoid of gratitude if I do not specifically acknowledge the contribution of my uncle Raja Randhir Singh (Member IOC and Life President, NRAI) and my colleague Shri. Ajay Singh Dev along with whom, many hours of strategization and vast quantities of midnight oil was burnt preparing and collating multiple reports, communiqués, media briefings and the like over a two year period. The NRAI personally extend my thanks to both of them.

This acceptance of our proposal is truly a game-changing methodology to hosting a prestigious multi-sport event such as the Commonwealth Games. As a consequence of which, a cost affective and inclusive methodology has been created for bidding nations to partner in a limited manner, based on the non-existence of infrastructure within the bidding nation/city’s area, with their brother Commonwealth nations that do have existing infrastructure of quality where specific events maybe conducted in the future even more unitedly than now. Indeed, as a part of the original bid of a nation/city that maybe seeking in the future to host the Commonwealth Games.

This principle is derived from the excellent report created by the CEO of the CGF, titled Commonwealth Games Refresh 2026, in which and with the approval of the general house of the CGF, the future direction of the federation is identified to follow a cost affective, inclusive games through which local communities are empowered as a consequence of the power of sport and genuinely represent the adage of being a ‘truly friendly games.’

The NRAI, now looks forward in the months and years to come to work alongside all stakeholders as well as the CGF and the Govt. of India, so that all of us jointly produce a quality spectacle of top level international sport in a cost effective and efficient manner.”