Baseball and Softball make Tokyo 2020’s Final List

Tokyo 2020 proposed their final list of the sports they hope on adding in 2020 when the Olympic games hit Japan. Making the final list was baseball, softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to its Olympic program yesterday, Monday the 28th of September.

Tokyo 2020 said in a statement: "This package of events represents both traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, all of which are popular both in Japan and internationally. They will serve as a driving force to further promote the Olympic Movement and its values, with a focus on youth appeal, and will add value to the Games by engaging the Japanese population and new audiences worldwide, reflecting the Tokyo 2020 Games vision." 

The International Olympic Committee will make a final decision in August of 2016 as to which sports will be added for the 2020 Games, if any. The decision is for the sports’ inclusion in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

"Tokyo 2020’s decision to propose our sport is a ‘home run’ and giant leap forward for baseball and softball," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "On behalf of WBSC and our athletes, I would like to thank Tokyo 2020 as well as IOC President Thomas Bach, whose Olympic Agenda 2020 vision has paved the way for this extraordinary opportunity. The entire baseball and softball world is excited and ready to cross the Olympic home plate. But above all, I am happy for all our male and female athletes who today can see there is a real chance to fulfill their greatest dream of representing their country in the most important sporting spectacle there is, the Olympic Games.”

The five proposed sports (baseball-softball counts as one) make up a total of 18 events (when separating for genders and, for karate, weight classes) and 474 additional athletes.

Tokyo 2020 proposed having six teams each in baseball and softball, with baseball teams having a 24-man roster, and softball teams having 15-woman roster.

“Today’s announcement by Tokyo 2020 to include baseball/softball into its proposal for additional events at the 2020 Olympic Games is an exciting step forward to hopefully seeing our game return to this great platform,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in the press release. “We look forward to the IOC’s decision in August 2016.”