Skateboarding & surfing among possible Tokyo 2020 sports

“We are pleased that surfing has been recommended for inclusion in the 2020 Games by the Tokyo Olympic Organizers”. Final word on the inclusion of the sports will come next August when the International Olympic Committee will make a ruling at the 129th IOC Session in Rio.

If it bid alone, softball would get our top spot: the sport’s elimination from the Olympic program was a travesty, a lost opportunity for a growing women’s game to stay in the spotlight.

The case: It’s considered the leading contender given the popularity of baseball and softball in Japan. Softball is undoubtedly popular in North America, Asia and Oceania and baseball is primarily one of America’s favorite pastimes.

He said the difference between recreational and professional bowling was not well understood.

“The karate community has been working very hard for the last few years to get the sport in”.

Football and tennis are widely regarded as ticket generators for summer Games, while both rugby and golf will be included at Rio 2016. But the worldwide federation says it won’t give up trying.

Tokyo had been generally expected to nominate one or two.

Baseball/softball is the biggest sport not now part of the Olympics – particularly in terms of youth participation in organized competition, World Baseball Softball Confederation President Riccardo Fraccari said. This is not only a great opportunity for our sport and the skaters, but also for the Games.

Baseball and softball – which were dropped after 2008 and have fought to return – also made the cut with karate and sport climbing.

However, there’s a lot more agility and endurance required in sport climbing.

For Karate men’s and women’s Kata and Kumite, split across three weight classes, are the proposed events that could add 80 athletes to the Games.

The case: Squash has global reach. After years of lobbying, the sport was almost included in the 2012 London Olympics. Tokyo organizers made their choices from a list of eight finalists. Host cities can propose additional events.

It’s hard to know why skateboarding hadn’t been added long ago as snowboarding was added to the winter games.

“Young, aspiring Surfers around the world are rejoicing today”.

Canada’s status: Not surprisingly, given Canada’s weather and geography, the world surfing rankings are dominated by Americans, Australians and a smattering of others. (Wushu is a Chinese martial art if you, like us, had no idea what the flip it was). In its non-combative taolu discipline, competitors are judged on their maneuvres.

Both McFerran and Ream indicated they have been in talks with the International Olympic Committee regarding management and governance of the sport if it does in fact make it to the Olympics in 2020.

That decision, the International Olympic Committee said, was based on the fact that the body is interested in getting more youths to participate in the games.