Commonwealth Games Federation boss David Grevemberg has taken the unusual step of writing an open letter to explain why shooting has not been included in Birmingham’s plan for the 2022 event.

Each host city must include the CGF’s 10 core sports in its programme but then has considerable freedom to pick at least seven sports from an optional list. These choices tend to be based on the venues available and the host nation’s medal prospects.

Birmingham, which was finally confirmed as the 2022 host in December, has announced it will be staging basketball, judo, gymnastics, table tennis and wrestling from the optional list. It is expected to add archery, track cycling and women’s T20 cricket.

But there is no place for shooting in Birmingham’s plan, which means the sport misses out for the first time since 1970. The move has provoked complaints from shooting powers such as Australia and India, the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and even the Countryside Alliance, which described the decision as a “deeply disappointing shock” and “shortsighted”.

Chief executive Grevemberg has responded by reiterating the CGF’s rules on which sports are compulsory and which ones are not, explaining that these lists were made by the organisation’s general assembly in 2015 and then approved by the membership in 2016.

In his letter, the former Glasgow 2014 boss goes on to praise shooting as “a thrilling sport with a proud and longstanding heritage at the Commonwealth Games” and says he understands why some countries will be particularly disappointed.

But Grevemberg then underlines why it is so important for each host city to propose a programme “that complies with our agreed rules but also works best for them”.

He explains: “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.”

This is a reference to the fact Birmingham was a late substitute for Durban after the South African city ran into financial problems and was stripped of the Games early last year. The CGF desperately tried to bring other cities into the race but was ultimately left with a choice of one: the winner of a two-city English beauty contest between Birmingham and Liverpool.

Grevemberg added: “We continue to build on our strategic partnerships with all sports across the Commonwealth sports movement and the CGF president will shortly meet the ISSF to discuss their future plans and ambitions to continue the development of shooting disciplines throughout the Commonwealth.”