intoronto Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Yeah, that's so consistent with the cost cutting ideas... lol ikr! What I took away from that piece is Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah is one powerful man! Better get him to back your bid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowriver Posted February 9, 2014 Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 I want to see some sort of Scavenger Hunt. That would be built for Television!! There actually something similar and it can be find in World Games, it's Orienteering, Run on unfimiliar terrain with a map to find points http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orienteering But it's not quite popular Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intoronto Posted February 9, 2014 Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 There actually something similar and it can be find in World Games, it's Orienteering, Run on unfimiliar terrain with a map to find points http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orienteering But it's not quite popular Ski-Orienteering is actually making a serious bid for the 2022 Winter Games. http://rufso.ru/files/2013-03-13-01-14-33prezentaciya.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted February 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 IOC weighing skateboarding, BMX for Tokyo Summer program Energized by the additions of slopestyle and freeskiing to the Winter Games program, the IOC is weighing the addition of skateboarding and BMX halfpipe and park to the Summer Olympic program for the 2020 Tokyo Games. IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi said he expects the IOC to recognize the International Skateboarding Federation by the end of the year. “That is probably the next boost to the sport,” he said. “Major events, exposure to the global stage is what will help the sport continue to grow.” The IOC is in the middle of overhauling the way it determines what sports are part of the Olympics. Jacques Rogge, the former IOC president, capped the number of summer sports at 28 and number of athletes at 10,500. His successor, Thomas Bach, is in favor of loosening those rules and making it easier to add new sports. BMX racing has been part of the Olympic program since 2008, but not the halfpipe or park disciplines of the sport. Dubi said that the program for Rio 2016 is set, but the IOC will look at new sports for Tokyo 2020. In addition to skateboarding and BMX halfpipe and park, the IOC also is eyeing sport climbing, another lifestyle sport. “We should not move away from those sports that appear to be more traditional,” he said. “You need probably a blend of urban-extreme sport and at the same time making sure that we have the ground covered with all the (traditional) others.” Dubi said adding slopestyle and freeskiing had been a huge benefit to the program in Sochi. The average age of Olympics viewers has been rising during the past decade, and the IOC has looked to attract younger viewers by adding new sports that appeal to them. The discipline of slopestyle and the sport of freeskiing, which have been part of the X Games for more than a decade, are an example of that. Dubi said internet consumption globally was up 300 percent for the Sochi Games and viewership for slopestyle had been “tremendous.” “What I find interesting is it’s strong on TV, which is a good thing because it’s (where) our traditional viewers (are), but it’s also good on the internet, which is the younger generation, and these age groups have a big pickup,” Dubi said. Dubi said the IOC feels like the Summer Games’ program is in good shape. For the first time in years, the IOC saw an uptick in younger viewers for the London Olympics, and he believes that the IOC can continue to make traditional sports relevant by making interesting venues, playing relevant music and creating colorful backdrops. But, he added that including “so-called extreme sports” to the program is something that could help, and the IOC will spend the rest of the year evaluating skateboarding, BMX, sport climbing and other sports. “By the end of 2014, we will know exactly what we will do,” Dubi said. The IOC has flirted with the idea of adding skateboarding since 2006. It first met with Camp Woodward President Gary Ream at the Torino Games to discuss the sport. Ream and BMX legend Mat Hoffman have had ongoing discussions with the IOC about skateboarding and BMX since then. They created the International Skateboarding Federation for both sports and began holding world championships in 2010. But the organization has never been recognized as an official federation by the IOC. In a statement to SportsBusiness Journal, Ream said: “We, the ISF, continue to have meaningful dialogue with the IOC leadership and we will follow their guidance so the skateboarding community can present skateboarding to the world properly. If skateboarding were to be added to the Olympic Games properly, it would be a great benefit to both the Games and skateboarding. “Skateboarding adds a youth lifestyle sport enjoyed by millions of kids worldwide. It also brings a youth culture and appeal that has a strong industry, iconic and well-known athletes, and a sport that will attract and engage a younger audience. We have seen the benefits from snowboarding and freeskiing being in the Olympic Games and we have also learned a lot from the process that led to their inclusion. The Games will help skateboarding continue to grow globally and help validate the sport to parents and an adult population. I am sure that newly elected IOC President Thomas Bach understands this and values this change as something that would be very important to the Olympic movement.” http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/SB-Blogs/On-The-Ground/2014/02/SochiSiteBMX.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breathesgelatin Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 I'm not thrilled about it, but I don't see any way that more extreme sports don't join the summer program in future years. The question is, will the IOC actually have the nerve to cut other sports? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intoronto Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Not a fan of adding skateboarding. If the BMX addition doesn't require more athletes I am all for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binary Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 the summer x games get decent ratings, so if bach only cares about the almighty dollar he could do that, but if they actually want drive OG costs down they would have to take something out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowriver Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Expansion of BMX and adding skateboarding seems to be natural next step looking on what Olympics already have, specially in winter. Not to mention sports man in those disciplines are a lot more recognizable then most sports in Olympics, same like Shaun White in Snowboard. Japan would be also good place to debut for those sports Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 - Ikebana, - Origami - Fan-strutting!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binary Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 ski ballet. They can just paint sand white Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted February 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 ICF to drop men’s K2 200m from Olympics The International Canoe Federation has voted to drop mens K2 (kayak pairs) 200m sprint racing from the Olympic programme to make way for a new women’s canoe event. Amid what insiders describe as ‘chaotic scenes’, the shock vote at an ICF Board Meeting in Peru in November followed a long and heated debate over how to admit the women’s canoe singles 200m discipline into the Olympic programme. The vote followed a long push by campaigners to achieve greater gender equity in the sport. At the same meeting, it was decided to drop men’s canoe doubles from the slalom programme in favour of women’s canoe singles. Neither decision, both of which take effect from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, has been formally announced by the ICF, however. The reason for the changes is that the sport is unbalanced in gender terms at the Games – in London there were 16 Olympic medal competitions in canoe-kayak sprint and slalom, 11 of them men’s and 5 women’s. While dropping mens canoe doubles from slalom was not a big surprise, the decision to drop mens K2 200m, which debuted in the sprinting programme at London 2012 and saw Britain’s Jon Schofield and Liam Heath win a bronze medal, is likely to prove highly controversial. Broadcasters see 200m sprint racing as key to attracting spectators to a sport which, to the general public, all looks quite similar when staged over the longer 1,000m distance. And the introduction of 200m racing was also seen by Olympics observers as a major achievement for the ICF, representing welcome innovation in Olympic canoe/kayak after years in which there had been little change. Kayak fans had thought mens canoe doubles (C2) 1,000m would have gone from the Olympic Games to make way for women’s canoe singles (C1) 200m. Canoe supporters, however, argued successfully that dropping one of only 3 remaining men’s canoe sprint events (C1 200m, 1,000m and C2 1,000m) from the programme would more or less kill off interest in the sport as an Olympic discipline. Men’s C2 500m had already gone, to make way for the women’s K2 (kayak doubles) 200m event in London. Richard Pettit, media relations manager at the ICF said: “The argument was that we are the International Canoe Federation and that if we did not find a kayak discipline to drop we might as well become the International Kayak Federation. The overriding view was that we should continue to have canoe in the Olympic programme as it’s an essential part of the sport.” Pettit said the vote at the board meeting in Lima came after a debate that went on ‘for ages’. National federations are divided on the changes. Some, such as Canada, have pushed hard for the introduction of women’s canoe. Others have resisted change for fear of losing events in which they’ve traditionally been strong. For Britain, the end of both C2 slalom and K2 200m sprint is an enormous double blow since the country is highly successful at both and together the two events accounted for three medals at London 2012: gold and silver in mens’ C2 slalom and the Heath/Schofield bronze in kayak sprint. Paul Owen, chief executive of the British Canoe Union, expressed extreme disappointment at the votes. He said: “We’re also in the ludicrous situation that the decisions have been taken but not announced. Right now I’ve got athletes training for these events and they deserve to know.” The ICF’s November press release concerning the admission of women’s canoe in Tokyo did not mention what sprint or slalom events would go to make way for it. Tim Cornish, one of two African ICF board members at the meeting in Lima, said he was ‘very disappointed’ at the vote. “There was no question that mens C2 slalom would have to go to make way for women’s C1 to equal out the gender situation,” Cornish said. “But in sprint terms, canoe events are not spectacular, not at all hotly contested like kayak races and I wouldn’t have been sorry to see canoe sprint disappear altogether. That sounds radical but bringing in 200m racing was a good spectacle and now we’re reversing that decision.” http://www.royalcanoeclub.com/index.php/2014/02/25/icf-to-drop-mens-k2-200m-from-olympics/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intoronto Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 What an idiotic move even though Canada would have a gold medal have in the c1 sprint event for women. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binary Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 how possible is it that the IOC just increases the requirements for players to qualify for the olympics. You could really reduce the size of the games that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronze Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Am I the only one who thinks the discussion should be about which sports to cut, rather than what to add? The costs of the games, summer especially, are ballooning out of control. If a sport or event doesn't require new facilities, or can share facilities with another event, then by all means, go for it. But so many events just seem to cost more than they're worth (BMX, canoe slalom, etc) (Then again, if I were in charge, it'd be a bloodbath. No more trampoline, sailboarding, men's soccer, boxing...so maybe it's just me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted April 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 ITU President Marisol Casado targets mixed relay for Tokyo 2020... Casado is now pushing hard to get the mixed team relay event - which held its own World Championships since 2009 and is due to make its debut in a major event at this year's Commonealth Games in Glasgow - introduced to the Olympic programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) IOC Extraordinary Session convenes in Monte Carlo on December 6 and 7. "Mixed team relay is done over a very short distance, and it gives to the sport something very important, a sense of team building," she said. "Ours is an individual sport but our athletes are always really happy to compete as a team. "It's the same kind of feeling tennis players have when they come together for the Davis Cup. "We tried very hard to get the event included for the Rio 2016 Games but it was not possible because the IOC decided not to make any change in Rio. "But I hope that by the end of this year the programme for Tokyo 2020 will have some changes. "We will have to see what President Bach announces at the IOC Session in Monte Carlo in December. "I think in this session probably some changes that we were looking for before, making it possible to have the mixed team event, will be decided. "I am hopeful. I was with President Bach last year in Hamburg where we held the Mixed Relay World Championships, and he liked it a lot. Maybe this is not enough to persuade the IOC - but we will see!" ... http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/triathlon/1019309-exclusive-itu-president-marisol-casado-targets-mixed-relay-for-tokyo-2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted April 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 Judo team event eyed for Tokyo 2020 The Yomiuri Shimbun The All Japan Judo Federation will propose adding team events for both men and women to the program for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a special board meeting decided on Tuesday at Tokyo’s Kodokan. The federation plans to enlist the support of the International Judo Federation as it begins the process of making the proposal to the International Olympic Committee and other involved organizations. “The team event is very exciting,” federation vice president Yasuhiro Yamashita said. “If the IJF gets on board, we can get things moving.” The IJF laid the groundwork for including team events in the Olympics at the 2011 world championships in Paris, where the team and individual tournaments were competed together for the first time. At last year’s world championships, the Japanese women won the gold while the men finished third. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001214728 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 IOC issues warning over Israeli flag incidentLAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee issued a warning to the world baseball and softball federation on Tuesday after an Israeli delegate was barred from displaying his national flag at a recent meeting in Tunisia. "This is a clear signal that the IOC is not accepting any kind of discrimination," IOC President Thomas Bach said. The IOC opened an investigation after the head of the Israeli Baseball Association, Peter Kurz, was told he could not display the Israeli flag or Israeli name plate at the World Baseball Softball Confederation congress in Hammamet, Tunisia, in May. The IOC executive board noted that the WBSC had taken its own "appropriate and reasonable" punitive measures, suspending the Tunisian federation for six months. But the IOC said it was warning the world body "to ensure that a similar situation is not repeated in the future." The IOC said the measure was taken "in view of the critical importance of maintaining respect for all members of the Olympic movement and upholding the Olympic values at all times." Kurz was one of 150 delegates from 90 nations attending the congress in Tunisia. He said he was asked to sit without his national flag or sign "for my own wellbeing and for the sake of the host country." The warning is an embarrassment for the WBSC, which was recently formed to merge the two sports as part of a joint bid to win inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Baseball and softball have been out of the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games and have failed in several attempts to secure reinstatement. "We examined it and understood it was probably a lower-level person, it wasn't a plot," Anita DeFrantz, an IOC executive board member from the United States, told The Associated Press. "It seemed someone individually took an initiative, but nevertheless it's inappropriate, and we want to make sure the organization understood the responsibility for ensuring that the Olympic movement's principle is applied." In October 2013, Tunisia's tennis federation ordered the country's top player to withdraw from a match against an Israeli opponent at a tournament in Uzbekistan. Malek Jaziri had been scheduled to play Israel's Amir Weintraub in the quarterfinals of an ATP challenger in Tashkent. He withdrew before the match and Weintraub advanced to the semifinals of the lower-tier event. AP http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2014/07/08/ioc-issues-warning-over-israeli-flag-incident/12353365/?AID=10709313&PID=6154686&SID=1ausbpege7mgw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted August 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2014 Basketball has Olympic dreams for 3x3 version of the game NANJING, China, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, is targeting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for 3x3 basketball, said its secretary general Patrick Baumann watching the competition at the ongoing Nanjing Youth Olympic Games (YOG). "We think we have good cards to play and we can give the IOC something to help rejuvenate their programme, something urban, something very youth orientated and something that marries technology with entertainment," Baumann said. FIBA made a serious push to have 3x3 included for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but fell short. It had hoped to create a popular new Olympic event, much like volleyball with the introduction of beach volleyball and cycling with BMX. "We wanted Rio and we were very close, but Rio has more pressing issues so it is understandable that the IOC did not change the programme [there]," Baumann said. "We hope that with changes in the agenda for 2020, we will have the right flexibility and the IOC will make its choice." Baumann made his comments while watching the 3x3 competition at the Nanjing 2014 YOG, and he said that much has changed since the sport took its place at the Singapore YOG four years ago. Baumann noted the Nanjing tournament is much more competitive and the level of play has risen considerably. "You see Venezuela beating Russia, China beating France. That does not happen very often in 5-on-5 and for us that is good news because it means we are on the right track," he said. Former Spain international Jorge Garbajosa has played the game at all levels, including the NBA, world championships 5-on-5 and the world 3x3 championships. He said that while there are similarities, the games are very different. "You have a ball and you have a basket but the way to play is very different. You do not have time to rest," said Jarbajosa, who is an Athlete Role Model in Nanjing. "You have to make quick decisions, which makes the game more exciting. And there is a small party around the game which is great for players and fans." FIBA sees 3x3 basketball, which is a popular recreational sport around the world, as a vehicle for non-traditional powerhouse hoops countries to have a chance at Olympic glory. New Zealand coach Anthony Corban agrees, and would like to see the 3x3 tournament in Tokyo restricted to countries not competing in the 5-on-5 competition, should the sport be included in the programme. "I think it is a great sport for development nations. New Zealand is a developing basketball nation. Australia is the big dog in Oceania. For a lot of those countries that can't go to the Olympics, where it is 5-on-5, this is a great way to develop the game. "Tunisia, I had to go to Google to find out where the country is. Andorra as well. It is good to see those countries here." Brazil coach Fernando Coloneze, though, disagrees with the idea of limiting entries. "Volleyball has regular volleyball and beach volleyball, I do not see why you should restrict the countries," he said. The last word went to USA coach Travis Johnson. "It has to be the next thing. We are pushing for it to be the next thing. It is awesome. Look how beach volleyball has taken off. The setting on the sand, with the music, that is the same thing that FIBA is trying to do here," he said. Xinhua http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/140824/basketball-has-olympic-dreams-3x3-version-the-game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted August 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2014 ITTF target mixed doubles competition at Tokyo 2020International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) chief executive Judit Farago wants to get mixed doubles added to the Olympic programme for Tokyo 2020. It follows the conclusion of the programme here at the Summer Youth Olympic Games where the mixed team competition was described as "very pleasing" by the world governing body. Table tennis first appeared on the Olympic programme at Seoul 1988 but mixed doubles has never been part of the Games. Male and female doubles events were replaced by two team competitions at Beijing 2008. Doubles still features, however, in the Olympic team competition and at the individual World Championships. But the biennial World Team Championships, held this year in Tokyo, consists only of singles matches. Farago insisted, though, the doubles events were dropped from the Olympic programme with the proviso they remained part of the team event. "Mixed team event is something we would like to develop and introduce further at different ITTF events," she told insidethegames. "We applied for mixed doubles to be included in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in addition to the two singles and two team events, but this concept was generally not accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Rio as there were no additional medal events. "Based on the direction the IOC go in Agenda 2020, we may again push for the inclusion of mixed doubles at Tokyo 2020." ... This comes as the ITTF is working hard to improve standards in the rest of the world, with a more competitive global balance duly seen as vital if the sport's appeal and international audience is to be maintained. As was exclusively revealed by insidethegames in April, ITTF President Adham Sharara is stepping down at the end of this month to take up a new chairman role, with German deputy Thomas Weikert taking over the Presidency. A key part of Sharara's new role will be spending more time independently to help Europe and other parts of the world to rise and challenge the Chinese dominance, something he "believes will generate a lot of interest in our sport and will make for a healthier balance". There are currently six European players in the top 20 of the men's and women's world rankings but five of the female players are of Chinese origin. No European medals being won in Nanjing. Farago claims she is not unduly worried by this and believes the work the ITTF is doing to promote the sport globally is already paying off, citing the historic medals won here by Hugo Calderano of Brazil and Lily Zhang of the United States as evidence. "Europe did not win any medals here in Nanjing, however two European men and two European women made the quarterfinals which is still a good performance," she told insidethegames. "One of the reasons why Europe did not go further in the competition was the emergence of Latin America and North America. "Both continents claimed [bronze] medals for the first time in history of table tennis here in Nanjing, which shows the success of the ITTF development programme developing these markets." full article: http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/table-tennis/1022106-exclusive-ittf-target-mixed-doubles-competition-at-tokyo-2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted August 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Japan's gold at Women's Softball World Championship drives interest in return of Softball, Baseball at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games HAARLEM, Netherlands -- Japan defeated the United States, 4-1, to win the first ever Women's Softball World Championship held in Europe, highlighting softball's continued expansion beyond traditional geographic boundaries as one of the world's most commercially successful, and popular spectator and participation sports for women, young girls and families. Australia earned the bronze to spread the medal distribution of the women's championship among the Americas, Asia and Oceania. (See Photos.) "We are developing the sports of softball and baseball in many areas such as the Muslim world, in Africa, and in Europe where interest, awareness, and club numbers and players are continuing to grow on this historic, sports loving continent, the cradle of modern sport,"said World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President, Riccardo Fraccari. Japan, the 2008 Olympic softball champions, finished softball's pinnacle global event with a perfect tournament record of 10-0, fueling further national speculation, interest and excitement in Japan about the possible inclusion of softball and baseball, the two most popular sports in the 2020 Olympic host nation, at the Tokyo Games. With the Olympic sports selection process up for discussion at the IOC Session in Monaco in December, leadership of the WBSC, the recently merged international baseball and softball confederation, remains committed to working with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organisers to earn the honour of having the sports included at the Olympic Games. "Japan, like many other countries around the world, is a baseball and softball nation, and we are doing all we can to maximize the added-value that our bat-and-ball sports would deliver to the Olympic Games," President Fraccari said. "We believe that the deep national history, pride and passion for baseball and softball in Japan, at all levels of Japanese society, would enable these sports to bring great value and enhance the Olympic experience at the Tokyo Games and for the 2020 Olympic host nation of Japan." ... WBSC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phandrosis Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 They might as well. It's not like Tokyo has to build any stadiums for it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorchbearerSydney Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 Judo team event eyed for Tokyo 2020 The Yomiuri Shimbun The All Japan Judo Federation will propose adding team events for both men and women to the program for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a special board meeting decided on Tuesday at Tokyo’s Kodokan. The federation plans to enlist the support of the International Judo Federation as it begins the process of making the proposal to the International Olympic Committee and other involved organizations. “The team event is very exciting,” federation vice president Yasuhiro Yamashita said. “If the IJF gets on board, we can get things moving.” The IJF laid the groundwork for including team events in the Olympics at the 2011 world championships in Paris, where the team and individual tournaments were competed together for the first time. At last year’s world championships, the Japanese women won the gold while the men finished third. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001214728 I hate these artificial 'team' events created by IFs to get another medal event at the Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofan Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 I hate these artificial 'team' events created by IFs to get another medal event at the Games. There's no harm in these events. They're quota neutral, and they allow judo athletes who'd otherwise only compete for one day get to stay for a longer period of time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox334 Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 I hate these artificial 'team' events created by IFs to get another medal event at the Games. I like them, honestly. They create a second opportunity for athletes to compete and they reward national federations for fostering depth. Plus they are very TV friendly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted September 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 OCA president backing baseball's 2020 return INCHEON South Korea (Reuters) - The president of the Olympic Council of Asia has thrown his support behind baseball's bid to return to the program at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who also heads the powerful Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), told Reuters in an interview that Tokyo had all the infrastructure and facilities in place to fit baseball into the program. Baseball and softball were on the Olympic program from 1992 to 2008 but voted out in a secret ballot in 2005, becoming the first sports to be removed since polo in 1936. They joined forces to bid against wrestling and squash for the one available berth at the 2020 and 2024 Games but missed out after the IOC voted to reinstate wrestling. "In my personal opinion, yes," said Sheikh Ahmad when asked if baseball should return in Tokyo. "The Olympics as a sporting leader and Tokyo as the hosting city would be happy to see baseball at the Games." Baseball enjoys huge popularity in Asia, particularly in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, who won the first two editions of the World Baseball Classic. Currently a sport needs to be voted in seven years before making its Olympic appearance but Olympic chief Thomas Bach has said he wanted to get rid of the rule in order to refresh the program and tap into potential new viewers and sponsors. He also wants to increase the number of sports to more than the current 28 by cutting disciplines and events of other sports to keep the total athletes figure at 10,500. Sheikh Ahmad, who is in South Korea for 17th Asian Games in Incheon, west of Seoul, said the Olympics had to take on a greater degree of flexibility without betraying its ideals. "The water is moving in the Olympic movement," he said. "We have to maintain the concepts, the ideals, and the roots of the movement, but also modernize with this new world." Among the changes Bach hopes will be adopted in an IOC session in Monaco in December is making it easier to include and exclude sports from the Games to make them more attractive to spectators, broadcasters and sponsors. "We have to respect the rules, mechanisms and procedures of the IOC, and therefore I don't want to be in a hurry to decide," said Sheikh Ahmad. "Let us wait for the December session in Monaco and the picture will be more clear. "But yes, Tokyo has big potential to have baseball as part of the Olympic program." http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140918/oca-president-backing-baseballs-2020-return Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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