The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee has selected wrestling, baseball and softball, and squash to be considered for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games.
IOC recommends wrestling, baseball and softball, and squash for 2020 Olympic Games
Three sports are still in the running as an additional sport in the Olympics, including a few old favorites.
Phil Walter
The three sports were selected from a shortlist of eight that included karate, sport climbing, wushu, roller sports and wake boarding. All eight disciplines made 30-minute presentations on Wednesday before a secret ballot was held. The complete IOC membership will vote in September to determine if wrestling, baseball and softball, or squash will be added to the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The president of the IOC had the following statement about the proceedings.
"The Executive Board received excellent presentations today from eight International Federations," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. "It was never going to be an easy decision but I feel my colleagues on the Board made a good decision in selecting baseball/softball, squash and wrestling to be put forward in Buenos Aires. I wish the three shortlisted sports the best of luck in the run-up to the vote in September and would like to thank the other sports for their hard work and dedication."
Squash would seem to be the underdog in the final voting, but it remains a viable option for the committee. Baseball and softball would be included as a pair for men and women, and has been in the Olympics very recently.
Wrestling has been a source of great conjecture considering the sport is steeped in tradition. It’s also a global sport, making it an intriguing option for inclusion.
It’s been a very heated debate on which of these sports should be represented in the Olympics when the games come to either Tokyo, Istanbul or Madrid.
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