Support for a boycott of the Games in three years' time in protest at the decision not to include shooting on the programme has gathered pace at the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), whose President Narinder Batra has asked for a meeting with Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to discuss the issue.

But athletes have so far appeared reluctant to support it, with some claiming it will be unfair on athletes in other sports.

Boxer Amit Panghal, gold medallist at last year's Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, told the Times of India he was optimistic the country would not withdraw from Birmingham 2022.

"It will only be right to take a stand and push for its [shooting] inclusion but I still hope we won't withdraw because the IOA will be considerate towards athletes in all sports," he said.

Indian archer Rajat Chauhan, also an Asian Games gold medallist, who won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in Copenhagen, was among others to publicly oppose the boycott.

Like shooting, archery was unsuccessful with its bid for inclusion on the Birmingham 2022 programme and Chauhan claimed "nobody thought of withdrawing" in protest at his sport's omission.

"Since [Delhi] 2010, archery hasn't been part of any Commonwealth Games, neither in 2014 nor 2018," Chauhan said.

"Nobody thought of withdrawing then.

"Do we not win medals in other sports?

"So we should participate at the Games.

"If you are doing this just for shooting, it is wrong.

"Such a decision to withdraw would be a setback for other sports and I am totally against it."

Table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal warned athletes will have no choice not to go to the Games if the Indian Government decides to boycott and called for "another option than the whole contingent boycotting because there is a lot at stake".

Shooter Joydeep Karmakar also expressed his objections to the boycott and called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the row.

Olympic shooting gold medallist Abhinav Bindra had previously spoken out against the boycott.

The Commonwealth Games Federation and Birmingham 2022 have both claimed they want India to participate at Birmingham 2022 and officials from the body are set to meet their Indian counterparts in the coming months to hold talks on the possible boycott.

The IOA has boycotted the CGF General Assembly in Kigali in September as part of its protest and has withdrawn Mehta from the election for regional vice-president, however.