Baseball, Karate, Surfing and More Recommended for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Organisers for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo have recommended five new sports to be included at the competition: baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.

That’s according to BBC Sport, which noted host nations have permission to add new sports to the Games’ schedule that are popular in the country, thus attracting greater interest and bolstered sponsorship.

A final decision on what will be included by the International Olympic Committee is expected in August 2016.

Jonathan Liew of the Daily Telegraph wasn’t too impressed by one choice in particular:

Eight sports were shortlisted for recommendation, with bowling, squash and wushu missing out at the expense of the aforementioned quintet. An anticipated 474 more athletes would take part in the Olympics should the disciplines be integrated.

Squash professional Alison Waters took to social media to express her disappointment at her sport not being recommended:

As reported by the BBC, the 2020 organising committee released the following accompanying statement: “This package of events represents both traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, all of which are popular both in Japan and internationally.”

The inclusion of baseball is not a surprise, as it is arguably the most popular sport in Japan; Nippon Professional Baseball is the top level for the country’s best players. 

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

The preparations for the Games haven’t gone too smoothly so far for Japan. Not only is construction for the Olympic stadium a year behind schedule, but organisers also had to withdraw the tournament’s official logo recently amidst allegations of plagiarism.