Five sports — golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports — are in the running for possible inclusion at the 2012 Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday it has notified the governing bodies of the five sports that they will be ”studied further” as part of a review of the Games’ competition schedule.
The IOC is assessing the 28 sports on the programme of last month’s Athens Olympics to determine whether any changes should be made.
The list will remain the same for the 2008 Beijing Games, with any modifications taking effect in 2012. The IOC will decide on the sports programme — and select the 2012 host city — at its session in Singapore next July.
IOC president Jacques Rogge has repeatedly said that no sports will be added without any sports being dropped. The ceiling will remain at 28 sports and about 10 500 athletes.
In Athens, the IOC formally accepted the criteria for judging which sports should be on the programme.
Among the key points are global participation, spectator attendance, media interest, the sport’s anti-doping policies and whether the sport features the world’s best athletes in the Olympics.
Removal of a sport requires a vote of the full IOC membership.
The last sport dropped from the Summer Olympics was polo in 1936.
In 2002, Rogge proposed that baseball, softball and modern pentathlon be dropped from the Games, and golf and rugby added. But IOC members resisted and put off any vote until after Athens.
The IOC this week sent out a 33-point questionnaire to all 28 Olympic sports federations. The form also went to golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports, which are among the 28 ”recognised” federations not on the Olympic programme.
The move rules out Olympic status for hopefuls such as bowling, water skiing, billiards, dance sport (ballroom dancing), chess, bridge and surfing.
Golf and rugby have been top contenders for Olympic inclusion for a number of years. Karate is seeking to become the latest martial art in the Games, which already has judo and tae kwon do.
Roller sports has five disciplines — artistic, downhill, hockey, inline hockey and speed events. Squash would add another racquet sport, joining tennis, table tennis and badminton.
”We have fought for 20 years to achieve our dream of being on the Olympic programme, in the sure knowledge that every top squash player would rank an Olympic medal as the greatest prize in the sport,” World Squash Federation president emeritus Susie Simcock said in a statement.
”This review by the IOC is wonderful news for squash as we are now able to present our case for inclusion alongside the current Olympic sports and other major sports bidding for a place.” — Sapa-AP