Tokyo –– The International Olympic Committee recently approved five new sports for the 2020 games in Tokyo, Japan.
The events include baseball/softball, which hasn’t been in the Olympics since 2008, karate, surfing, sport climbing, and surfing.
The hope is that by bringing in new events, it will draw younger viewers, and increase the competion for smaller countries.
Of course, the addition of baseball brings up one controversy. Will the best players play?
The 2020 Olympics would run from July 24th-August 9th, right smack in the middle of the Major League Baseball season.
The MLB would certainly need to cut a vast number of games off its 162-game schedule, but commissioner Rob Manfred isn’t totally opposed to this.
“Baseball and softball are global sports that belong in the Olympics,” he said. “We are grateful to the IOC Executive Board, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation for their collective efforts, which will allow fans throughout the world to again enjoy baseball and softball on the Olympic stage.” statement from USA Today Sports
The addition of the 5 sports will bring in roughly 474 male and female athletes to compete across 18 events.
“We have some time before the actual games and we would work very hard so that the best athletes can participate in the sport of baseball so the people are satisfied with the arrangement,” said Yoshiro Mori, president of Tokyo 2020.