The International Olympic Committee has announced they will add five new sports for the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games set in Tokyo, Japan. Baseball and softball will return to the Olympics since their last appearance in 2008 in Beijing. Others include karate, surfing, skateboarding and sports climbing, all of which are brand new sports that have never been done before in the Olympics.
The new additions were proposed by the Japanese Olympic Committee and were met with near unanimous approval. In a conference with the press, Tokyo’s 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said the aim was to draw a new, younger wave of athletes into the Olympic ranks.
“The inclusion of the new package of sports will afford young athletes the chance of a lifetime,” he said. “To realize their dreams of competing in the Olympic Games–the world’s greatest sporting stage–and inspire them to achieve their best, both in sport and life.
Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, echoed such sentiments.
“Taken together, the five sports are an innovative combination of established and emerging, youth-focused events that are popular in Japan and will add to the legacy of the Tokyo Games,” he said.
None of the previous standing games will be replaced. 18 events will be added to the more common 28 events, and the inclusion also means an additional 474 athletes to participate in the games.
Karate’s origins can be traced to current-day Okinawa, Japan, so it comes as no surprise it would be recommended. Baseball and softball were once part of the Olympic Agenda, but haven’t been a part of the games since 2008. Baseball currently enjoys their own international tournament: the World Baseball Classic. Surfing also has a strong international presence. Often held around June 20th–the summer solstice–countries around the world celebrate the cultural impact of surfing and it’s lifestyle, with Japan being one of those countries.
Japan will not be the only country to propose new sports. Future host nations are given the freedom to petition for new events that enhance and celebrate their own culture and lifestyle.
