The 2020 Olympics May Have Six New Sports – Host Submits Final List, But Are These Games Globally Popular?

The 2020 Olympics may have six additional games apart from the 26 sports that were played in 2012. Japan, the country that won the bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, has suggested the inclusion of these sports.

On being offered a chance to recommend sports that were regionally popular, Japan has submitted six games that it feels would boost the viewership and be able to attract bigger sponsors with deep pockets. Though there could have been many worthy mentions, Japan has recommended the inclusion of softball, along with baseball and four other sports. The organizing committee announced its choices Monday for adding sports.

“This package of events represents both traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, all of which are popular both in Japan and internationally.”

Apart from softball and baseball, Japan said karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding should also be included in the 2020 Olympics. Though Japan reasoned these sports would bring more value to the Olympics and win more regional as well as international audiences, the final decision on the list of sports that could be included lies with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is expected to convene in August of 2016, reported BBC.

The final list was drawn from a total of 26 federations. This was further condensed to eight, which was further reduced to reach the final count. Apparently, bowling, squash and traditional Chinese martial art, known as wushu, were the ones that were dropped before the final list was submitted to IOC.

Incidentally, softball and baseball were very much a part of Olympics. However, their inclusion was challenged and the IOC committee voted for a final decision. Despite a tie, these games were dropped. Interestingly, the Olympics committee rarely removes a game once it makes it to the elite list. After polo was removed back in 1936, these two games were axed after a gap of 69 years.

Though its apparent that Japan is keenly interested to see baseball and softball back in the Olympics, the games aren’t as popular across the world as they are in western countries. Olympic sports need to be viable and relevant all over the world, reports MSN. Softball is undoubtedly popular in North America, Asia and Oceania and baseball is primarily one of America’s favorite pastimes. However, these games don’t find many takers in Europe, South America and Africa.

Most of the games in the Olympics demand a perfect combination of pace, power, agility and grace. However, they equally require the long-term attention span of the audience as well as the sponsors. If the games being recommended do not convince those who prefer to be involved, then the games don’t become relevant and lose out on potential revenue and relevance.

It is mandatory that a majority of the countries that are participating in the 2020 Olympics be able to compete in the proposed games with equal chance of success. Needless to say, medals in baseball and softball have been majorly won by the countries in which these games are a hot favorite.

Karate has been gaining international acceptance for quite some time. Given the fact that it is quite a spectacle to watch, makes it a great contender. Karate has been a two-man sport and the spirit of competition and professional sportsmanship is quite evident. However, there’s a lot more agility and endurance required in sport climbing. Surfing, on the other hand, is all about grace, precision and timing, the attributes it shares with figure skating. It is likely the main reason for the recommendation of skateboarding could be its immense popularity.

Which of these games would you like to see being played in the 2020 Olympics?

[Photos by Alexander Hassenstein, Adam Pretty, Oshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images]