Five new sports for 2020?

Baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sports climbing and surfing have all been recommeded for the programme of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games by the Tokyo organizers on Monday.

Under the proposal, a total of 18 new medal events could be contested by an extra 474 athletes at the Games. The men's baseball tournament would consist of six teams and 144 total players, while the women's softball competition would have six teams and 90 players. Karate would have eight men's and women's events, while skateboarding proposes two street and two park events for 80 athletes. Sports climbing has two events in bouldering, lead and speed combined for 40 athletes. and surfing would have two shortboard events for 40 competitors.

The organizing committee approved Monday's proposal, which was chosen from eight finalists that had been selected from twenty-six initial sports that had applied. Bowling, squash and wushu failed to make the cut.

The recommendation comes under the "Olympic Agenda 2020" program adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last December, in which host cities are allowed to propose one or more additional events for their games. The proposal will be submitted to the IOC, who will make a final decision in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.

Tokyo was awarded the right to host the 2020 Games back in 2013, but the bid has come under recent scrutiny over the the Olympic logo and stadium issues.

apc/jh (AP, Reuters)