Underdogs: 8 sports that will be missed at the Olympics

At least three years before each Olympics, the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets to approve the program for the specific games. During the session, the IOC can either eliminate any sport or add a new one. The main requirement for an international federation governing a sport is compliance with the Olympic Charter and the World Anti-Doping Code.

The Olympic Charter implies that the International Federation is recognized by the IOC. It also implies that the sport is practiced in at least 75 countries on four continents for men and in at least 40 countries on three continents for women.

The program for the next Olympic Games has already been approved, they will be held in Tokyo in 2020. It includes five new sports: baseball/softball (both disciplines were Olympic until 2008), karate, surfing, rock climbing and skateboarding. We tell you which sports could be included in the next Olympics.

Beach soccer and indoor soccer

There are not so many differences between these versions and big soccer, mainly that the competitions are held on the beach and in the hall respectively. At the same time, many note that beach soccer, as well as indoor soccer, is more entertaining.

For many years FIFA has been seeking the inclusion of these two disciplines in the Olympic Games program, it seemed that before the games in Rio de Janeiro, the goal was close, but it did not work out. So far we have managed to achieve the inclusion of mini-football in the program of the Youth Olympic Games, but it already means a lot. The President of the Russian Mini Football Association believes that the inclusion of mini-football and beach soccer in the program of the Games can be expected after 2024.

Floorball

It is believed that this sport originated from ice hockey, but in fact it is related to ice hockey only by the presence of sticks. Matches are held in halls on a hard flat floor, not on ice, protective equipment is needed only for goalkeepers, and a plastic ball is used for the game. Each team consists of seven athletes, including the goalkeeper.

Floorball for more than 10 years has been applying for inclusion in the Olympic program, but so far without success, despite its spectacular and widespread. In 2008, the federation managed to obtain temporary membership in the IOC, and in 2011 – full membership.

Squash

This sport requires rackets, a ball and four walls. Both singles and doubles tournaments are held. The players’ task during a match is to hit the ball into the wall, and this was the main problem of squash competitions: what are the spectators to look at if there are four walls around the court! Over time, the federation found a solution: the walls were made transparent.

Squash federations already exist in more than 150 countries, the World Federation worked to include squash in the program of the Games in Rio, but it did not work out, in Tokyo squash will not be presented either. But with more than 50 million players in the world, sooner or later this sport will get its place in the sun.

Orienteering

Competitors in this sport must overcome a given route as quickly as possible, navigating by map and compass. There are several types of orienteering: running and bicycle orienteering, winter orienteering on skis and orienteering for people with disabilities. If desired, this sport can be included in the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics and even the Paralympics.

The international orienteering federation has been claiming to be included in the Olympic Games program for over forty years. The problem is that this sport is extremely inconvenient for the spectator: it is very difficult to organize full-fledged broadcasts, and it is not convenient to hold such competitions within the city, which means that potential spectators will have to go to the forest. But this year the federation got its chance: ski orienteering was included in the program of the Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk.

Speedskating

Speedskating or speed skating, as you can guess the main task for an athlete is to cover a given distance on roller skates as fast as possible. This sport has a lot in common with speed skating, but unlike its close relative can not be included in the Olympic program.

The International Federation has been unsuccessfully trying to change the IOC’s mind for many years, but last year it won a small but important victory: speedskating was represented at the Youth Olympic Games 2018.

Billiards and bowling

These sports are familiar to everyone without exception, even if someone hasn’t played themselves, they’ve probably seen others do it. Both of these sports claimed to get into the program of the Olympics in Tokyo, but both unsuccessfully. The International Bowling Federation has already qualified for the Olympics once, in 1988 in Seoul, and the Billiards Federation has yet to find out what it is.