The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on sports in India. India has been hit hard by the pandemic with the death toll crossing 4 lakh. Earlier in May, the Indian Premier League (IPL) suspended halfway. After that, the T20 World Cup also shifted to the UAE. Now, the Commonwealth archery and shooting championships, which were scheduled to be held in Chandigarh before the 2022 Birmingham Games, have been called off due to the "uncertainty" posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision taken by the Commonwealth Games India (CGI) Executive Board with the support of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will take place in Birmingham, England from 28 July to 8 August. Earlier, shooting – one of India's strongest sports left out of the programme for the CWG in 2019, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) expressed its disappointment and threatened to boycott the Games. However, the IOA withdrew its warning during the Annual General Body Meeting in December 2019. However, the Indian Olympic Association, till last month, had not ratified the hosting of the championships.
Meanwhile, CGF President Dame Louise Martin DBE said, "Disappointed that the 2022 Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships will no longer take place however, this is the right decision to take in the current climate. Despite this news, there are numerous key learnings that will benefit our ongoing work as we look to innovate and create new Commonwealth Sport Properties. The Chandigarh 2022 concept has identified exciting opportunities regarding future co-hosting possibilities that we must further explore."
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