New sports for 2020 Olympics to be decided prior to Rio Games
Xinhua, February 5, 2015 Adjust font size:
The new sports for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be finally determined in August next year ahead of the Rio de Janeiro Games.
International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates said here new sports will be approved at the IOC session in August just prior to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Baseball and softball, dropped after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, are considered favorites to return in 2020 because of their popularity in Japan and the existence of first-rate facilities.
Under IOC reforms, known as "Agenda 2020", host cities are allowed to propose the inclusion of one or more events for their games.
Other sports like squash and karate are also hopeful of joining the Tokyo program. Endi