SA Footy

Golf and rugby sevens look to be favourites to be added to the Olympic programme in time for the 2016 Games.

But softball and squash both have hopes of gaining the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee's executive board on Thursday.

A seven-sport shortlist, also including baseball, karate and roller sports, will be trimmed to "no more than four".

A final decision on the two new sports will not be rubber-stamped until an IOC meeting in Copenhagen in October.

"I read and heard that golf and rugby were the favourites, but I've heard some reservations as well," said board member Denis Oswald. "It's pretty open and difficult to predict."

Olympic golf was played in Paris in 1900 and four years later in St Louis.

One of the main issues has been whether top players will compete in the Olympics, when they already have a full schedule but superstar Tiger Woods indicated on Tuesday he would play.

"If I'm not retired by then, yeah," said Woods, who will be 40 in 2016, on the eve of the PGA Championship.

"I think that golf is a truly global sport and I think it should have been in the Olympics a while ago.

"If it does get in, I think it would be great for golf and some of the other small countries that are now emerging in golf."

Rugby union, which was last played at the 1924 Olympics in the full 15-a-side format, hopes to return in the faster, short-format seven-a-side version for both men and women, which is part of the Commonwealth Games.

Softball and baseball are seeking a return after being voted off the programme four years ago.

Baseball - which has failed to bring top US major league players to the Olympics - is offering a shortened five-day, eight-team format.

Softball, which rejected a proposal to combine its bid with baseball, has stressed its work in developing the sport among youth and women in the Middle East and Africa and in keeping free of doping scandals.

The World Karate Federation, comprising 180 national governing bodies, proposes to award 10 gold medals in five classes for each of the men's and women's competitions.

The International Federation for Roller Sports hopes to stage races on city streets for men and women, but not rink hockey or skateboarding.

And the World Squash Federation hopes that television-friendly, glass-enclosed courts can counter the sport's reputation as one that struggles to translate the speed of play to viewers.

Squash is thought to be the second choice of many IOC officials, which could count in its favour if a compromise is needed.

godoubleblues wrote:glad to see Rugby 7's being considered, I have long thought it would be ideal for the olympics

not too sure about golf though

Tassie Blues wrote:bloody golf he most boring sport in the world if it didnt make so much $$ it would never have got in

JAS wrote:

Tassie Blues wrote:bloody golf he most boring sport in the world if it didnt make so much $$ it would never have got in

Doubt anyone could honestly say they love every sport in the Olympics and I'm definitely no golf fan either but it's a heck of lot more like sport that a bunch of bints in a swimming pool doing Busby Berkley and Esther Williams impressions.

Must admit I'd quite like to see cricket brought in too...maybe Twenty20 style comp.

Of course none of this means the BBC or whoever your local broadcaster is will be prepared to show the sports

Regards
JAS

Golf was passed by 63 votes to 27 while rugby sevens had 81 votes in favour and eight against.

IOC president Jacques Rogge told delegates: "Time will show your decision was very wise."

Psyber wrote:I'm a traditionalist and purist..
The Olympics are for "warrior" sports, and I don't think ball sports have a place there.
I'm also for accepting amateurs only. Both of these positions solve the "Tiger" Woods issue..
The providers of TV coverage, however, would put "pro team porn" in the Olympics for the ratings if they could.
And at the rate the administrators are selling out it may not be long.