An update from Shooting Australia on the inclusion of Shooting in the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games

Shooting Australia, together with its Member Organisations, welcomed the recent combined announcement by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) and the Victorian Government that Victoria will play host to the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a focus on regional event delivery in designated hubs throughout Victoria. The announcement has also been met with great enthusiasm from the international target shooting sport community.

In April, CGF and CGA announced the first 16 sports that will be included in the 2026 Commonwealth Games program as part of the Phase One intake. This first phase did not include Shooting, however, CGF and CGA have advised there will be a second and final intake of sports (i.e. Phase Two) announced towards the end of 2022. The criteria for the selection of Phase Two sports will be made available by CGF in late May this year.

Shooting Australia has moved quickly to establish a Commonwealth Games Working Group that will be responsible for exploring and progressing opportunities for shooting’s inclusion in the Games in 2026. The Group is made up of representatives from the Australian Clay Target Association, National Rifle Association of Australia, Pistol Australia, and Target Rifle Australia, and includes a concentration of Victorian-based members because they have strong connections to and a comprehensive understanding of their communities and shooting in Victoria.

Shooting’s Working Group has already met once and will meet again before the end of May. The Group will lead the development of a proposal for shooting’s inclusion that will inform local discussions with CGA and the Victorian Government, and negotiations with and between key international stakeholders including the Commonwealth Shooting Federation, International Sport Shooting Federation and CGF over the coming months. The final decision regarding the inclusion of Phase Two sports – including shooting – in Victoria 2026 will be made by the CGF later this year

Shooting has been part of the Commonwealth Games in 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. And throughout this period, Australian shooting has achieved more medals than any other country – 175 in total comprised of 70 Gold, 60 Silver and 45 Bronze. This outstanding record of achievement makes shooting Australia’s fourth most-successful Commonwealth Games sport of all time.

Whilst shooting is not part of the Commonwealth Games program in Birmingham 2022, Shooting Australia is confident that shooting can and will have a positive impact on the success of Australia’s team at and Victoria’s delivery of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Shooting Australia and the Commonwealth Games Working Group will be doing everything they can to influence a decision by the CGF to include shooting in Victoria 2026.

Further updates will be provided as this process progresses.

For further information please contact:

Cath Fettell: [email protected]

Adam Sachs: [email protected]

Shooting Australia