The five extra sports, which do not replace any of the 28 already on the Tokyo schedule, will add 18 events and 474 athletes, with equal numbers of women and men for all sports except baseball/softball, which will have the same number of teams but different player totals.
The IOC said it considered a variety of factors when assessing the proposal submitted by the Tokyo organising committee, including the impact on gender equality, the youth appeal of the sports and the legacy value of adding them to the Tokyo Games.
Emma Boggis, CEO of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said: “With anticipation about the Rio Olympic Games building and the nation about to follow the exploits of TeamGB it is great to now know that the five sports which will be added to the Olympic programme in Tokyo. The Olympics and Paralympics provide sports with a global platform to diversify and engage new audiences as well as showcasing elite talent. We look forward to working with our members as they embark on a new journey to deliver the requirements needed to support their athletes and maximise the value of the global games for the benefit of their sport.”
Skateboard England commented on the announcement: “Skateboard England is really pleased that skateboarding has been included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. We believe that being part of the Olympics will be a catalyst to grow skateboarding in England as well as providing additional and better skateparks; thus giving skaters more opportunities to skate at better facilities throughout the country.”
John Boyd, Joint CEO and Head of Development of Baseball/SoftballUK also commented on the sport’s reinstatement to the Olympic Games: “Being included in the Tokyo 2020 games will mean a great deal for the development of baseball and softball in the UK. We will see over the next fortnight how Olympic fever grips the world and having our sports profiled on the biggest sporting stage will greatly help with the promotion of the sports in this country.
It will help us to build stronger and more meaningful partnerships with private and public investors.
The attention this will draw worldwide will mean a great deal of media interest in the UK, which will in turn help our efforts for people to realise our sports are played here and that we are a fast growing UK sport.”
As 2024 concludes and as we look ahead to 2025, the Alliance has published a message to members and partners.
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Sport and Recreation Alliance responds to Active Lives Children and Young People report.
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