The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee have recommended that baseball/softball, squash and wrestling be considered as additional sports on the Olympic programme for the 2020 Olympic Games
The 125th IOC Session will consider the proposals in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 7 to 10 September 2013.
The three sports were selected from a shortlist of eight that also included karate, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu.
The three sports could be added to the programme of the Games of the 2020 Summer Olympics in addition to the 25 core sports. Golf and rugby sevens were added in 2009 as additional sports to the Rio 2016 Olympic programme.
IOC President Jacques Rogge said:
“The Executive Board received excellent presentations today from eight International Federations. It was never going to be an easy decision but I feel my colleagues on the Board made a good decision in selecting baseball/softball, squash and wrestling to be put forward in Buenos Aires. I wish the three shortlisted sports the best of luck in the run-up to the vote in September and would like to thank the other sports for their hard work and dedication.”
In an effort to ensure the Olympic Games remain relevant to sports fans of all generations, the Olympic Programme Commission systematically reviews every sport following each edition of the Games. The Commission uses 39 criteria in determining a sport’s suitability for the Olympic Games, including youth appeal, universality, popularity, good governance, respect for athletes and respect for the Olympic values.