Jersey shooters are saddened by the Commonwealth’s failure

The head of the Jersey Pistol Association says he is disappointed shooting has not been included in the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow this week unveiled the 10 sports it will host in a scaled-down event after stepping in to host the Games following the withdrawal of the Australian state of Victoria.

It will be the second consecutive Games not to feature shooting – a sport in which Jersey won its last Commonwealth medal in 1990.

“It’s very sad for us because the Commonwealth Games is the highlight for Jersey,” Gregory Guida told BBC Radio Jersey.

“We understand why, Glasgow made it in extremis because the Australians didn’t want to make it and it’s nice that it’s still happening.”

“But it’s very sad that we can’t send people to shoot – we normally have six to seven people at all Commonwealth Games.”

Sports such as diving, badminton, hockey, table tennis and triathlon also did not make it to 2026.

It’s a double blow for Jersey’s shooters, who will have little international competition in the next few years.

There will be no shooting at next summer’s Island Games in the Orkney Islands, while Guida expects there to be little or no shooting at the Games in the Faroe Islands in 2027 and the Isle of Man in 2029.

“It’s a problem that it’s not happening,” Guida added.

“So we’re looking at other ways to gather and probably just do certain shooting events.”

“We’re talking between the islands to try to get something going.”

“I know Gibraltar is keen to see something happen [there] and they are ideally equipped for this as they have fantastic ranges.

“Jersey has done very well in the past and could do it again, so we are thinking about running our own competitions.”