The decision taken on Wednesday (August 3) by the 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro underlined the top sports organisation’s effort to attract more participation, Xinhua news agency reported. “For softball and baseball to be added to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games program is a dream come true for many athletes across the world”.
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With changes to the IOC rules for Olympic events, 5 new sporting competitions will be heading to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games next time around.
The IOC voted to include baseball, softball, surfing, skateboarding, karate, and sport climbing.
If you missed baseball and softball at the 2012 Olympics in London, then you’ll be in for a treat during the next Summer Games.
Japan is the birthplace of karate, and organizing committee chief Yoshiro Mori described baseball as “almost our national sport”. Both rugby and golf were part of the the 1900 Olympics in Paris – the second modern summer games – but by 1908 golf was out and rugby followed shortly thereafter. This long process has taken place over 2 years, but the payoff is great for fans of these sports.
Skateboarding will have street and park events, and feature 80 athletes 40 men and 40 women.
And just eight years after it banished baseball and softball from the Olympic games, the committee announced today that beginning in 2020, softball and baseball would once again become Olympic sports.
While karate, with its origins being in Japan, is an obvious choice, the inclusion of some of these new sports, however, hasn’t gone down well with everyone, with many claiming that netball and squash are more deserving of a chance. It is yet to be decided if US Major League players will be allowed to compete. They just want to make money off of something we love and live for.
Discussions on the event programme in the existing 28 Olympic sports for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are ongoing, and will be finalised by the IOC Executive Board in mid-2017.
Surfers are already speaking out about the decision, with John John Florence and Carissa Moore supporting the addition of surfing to the Olympic Games.
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Surfing, also popular in the island nation, is seen as an exciting new youthful sport that can add a new edge to the Games.
