The International Olympic Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to add five new sports to the 2020 Games in Tokyo, bringing back softball and baseball while introducing surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing for the first time.
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It was one of five new sports announced for the Games in Japan, with skateboarding, climbing, karate, and baseball-softball also making the grade.
The five, including a combined baseball-softball bid, were put forward for inclusion a year ago by Tokyo organizers. Under new International Olympic Committee rules, host cities can propose additional sports for their own games.
Baseball was an official event at five Summer Olympic Games since 1992 (in ’84 and ’88, it was a demonstration sport), but was taken off the slate following Beijing 2008.
The five extra sports, which do not replace any of the 28 already on the Tokyo schedule, will include 18 events and involve hundreds of athletes.
“We have some time before the actual games and we would work very hard so that the best athletes can participate in the sport of baseball so the people are satisfied with the arrangement”, said Yoshiro Mori, president of Tokyo 2020.
Skateboarding and sport climbing venues will be in urban settings, which the International Olympic Committee said was a step to bring the Games to young people and a reflection of the urbanization of sport.
The Nippon Budokan, Japan’s martial arts headquarters, will stage karate, expected to be divided into kata and kumite events.
Surfing, with 20 men and 20 women athletes, will take place in the sea, instead of on artificial waves, likely in the Prefecture of Chiba. In climbing, 40 competitors will take part in the disciplines of speed, bouldering and lead (also known as sport).
Baseball for men and softball for women count as one sport. “With its unique and modern blend of sport performance, style and youth culture, surfing will help deliver something special to the games”.
Reacting to surfing’s inclusion, International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre said the sport was “absolutely thrilled”.
“On behalf of the WBSC and all the athletes, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Tokyo 2020 leadership for putting their faith in our sport to begin with; to IOC president Thomas Bach, whose Olympic Agenda 2020 vision has made this opportunity a reality; and to all IOC members for recognising the valuable contribution the sport can make to the Olympic Movement”.
Skateboarding’s approval came despite tensions between rival federations.
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A lawsuit was filed last week in California by the World Skateboarding Federation (WSF). AP material published by LongIsland.com, is done so with explicit permission. Doing so may result in civil and/or criminal penalties.
