Birmingham 2022: Shooting dropped from Commonwealth Games

Steve Scott - who won shooting bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics - has called the decision a "big blow"

Commonwealth Games Federation boss David Grevemberg has backed Birmingham's decision to drop shooting from the 2022 Games.

Grevemberg confirmed on Friday that shooting - an optional sport for host cities - would not feature.

Shooting has been contested at every Commonwealth Games since Kingston 1966, with the exception of Edinburgh 1970.

Almost 30,000 people have signed a Shooting Times petition asking the CGF to reconsider the decision.

"We know they [Birmingham organisers] considered all optional sports carefully, but a final decision was reached," Grevemberg said in an open letter.

"The CGF has awarded the Games supporting these plans and consequently shooting will not feature at the 2022 Commonwealth Games."

England's shooters won 15 medals - including five golds - at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

Each host city of the Games must include a minimum 16 core sports from the CGF's programme but can then pick additional sports from an optional list.

Birmingham, which was finally confirmed as the 2022 host in December after Durban, South Africa, was stripped of the Games, has announced it will be staging basketball, judo, gymnastics, table tennis and wrestling from the optional list.

It is expected to also add archery, track cycling and women's T20 cricket to the programme.

Grevemberg added: "Our shared ambition is to broaden the pipeline of Commonwealth cities and nations wishing to realise the benefits of a Games - and to do that we must give our hosts the scope to propose and deliver their Games.

"The CGF president will shortly meet the International Shooting Sport Federation to discuss their future plans and ambitions to continue the development of shooting disciplines throughout the Commonwealth."

England will field a squad of 20 shooters at this year's Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast, including double gold medallist Steve Scott who said the decision was a "big blow".

"Obviously we've still got the Olympic Games and all the other world events we try to achieve in," the Rio Olympic bronze medallist told the Shooting Times.

"But everyone who has tried to get to the Commonwealth Games this year and didn't, and has more than the ability to win a medal in 2022, are not going to have that opportunity to do so."