MATT French admits he remains frustrated that shooting at the 2022 Commonwealth Games will not take place on home turf.

India has stepped in to host the event in January 2022 – six months before the main Games in Birmingham.

It came after the country threatened to boycott the Commonwealths when shooting, in which it has a strong record, was excluded.

A compromise was eventually found, for which French says the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) deserves “enormous” credit.

But the Oakley resident, who won double trap silver at Glasgow 2014, knows a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may have been lost.

He said: “To miss out on a home Games is bitterly disappointing – those chances don’t come around very often.

“You might only get one shot and that might have slipped away for some people.

“India will be good, but it’s not what we hoped for.”

The 38-year-old added: “Thank God they’ve put their neck on the line to make sure it takes place.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again and make sure it’s where it rightfully should be.”

Shooting is optional for host cities, yet it has featured at every Games bar one since 1966.

But in December 2017 the sport was scrapped from the 2022 event, with chief executive officer Ian Reid saying the proposed location of Bisley, Surrey, offered “little or no benefit to the West Midlands”.

It appeared destined to miss out entirely, until plans to host the shooting and archery events in Chandigarh came to light in January.

They will be separately organised and funded, but medals will count towards the overall competition.

Although the prize at stake is just as large, French knows there will be something missing.

He said: “Part of the whole experience is being at a multi-sport games, with all the other athletes staying in the village and taking part in the ceremonies.

“It will have the feel of a normal big international shooting event, which is wonderful, but it’s certainly going to miss that extra flavour.”

French also competed in the double trap at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, but faces a dilemma before trying for a third successive Commonwealths.

His specialism was dropped from the Olympics after Rio 2016 and he is waiting to see if it is included in Chandigarh.

“We haven’t had final confirmation of what events are going to be there,” he said.

“For those of us who lost our events, you’re looking at five or ten years to make it work (in a new event), or possibly never.”