How new sports get included in the Olympics

India is likely to recommend the inclusion of yoga, Twenty20 cricket, kabaddi, chess, squash, and kho kho, in its bid for the 2036 Games. Here is how new sports get added to the Olympics.

Breaking has been a competitive sport since the 1990s. (Wikimedia Commons)

The 2024 Olympic Games will take place in Paris, from July 26 to August 11. This year’s Games will see the debut of breaking (or breakdancing) as an Olympic sport. Surfing, skateboarding, and sports climbing had debuted in the Tokyo Games, held in 2021.

The Indian Express reported that for India’s bid to hold the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad, the Sports Ministry is likely to recommend the inclusion of yoga, Twenty20 cricket, kabaddi, chess, squash, and kho kho.

Here is a look at how new sports get included in the Olympic Games.

What are the criteria to be an Olympic sport?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is in charge of managing the Olympics. Among other things, it determines the sports programme for each edition of the Games. This is done in its annual sessions, not later than in the session electing the host city of the concerned edition of the Games.

The criteria for being an Olympic sport includes the following:

The sport must be among those governed by the International Federations (IFs) recognised by the IOC;
It must adhere to the Olympic Charter, a collection of codified rules and principles that dictate the running and organisation of the Olympic Games;
It must adhere to the World Anti-Doping Code, a unified document that standardises anti-doping policies, rules, and regulations across all sports and nations; and
It must adhere to the Olympic Movement Code for the Prevention of Tampering in Competition, which seeks to safeguard the integrity of sports against any form of cheating.

How are eligible sports selected?

The introduction of the Olympic Agenda 2020 in December 2014, led to changes in how sports are chosen for the Olympic Games. This update was aimed at making the Olympics more appealing to audiences, while also controlling the number of participants, expenses, and complexity.

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Crucially, it permitted the Organising Committee for the specific edition of the Games to suggest the addition of more sports.

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Does the host nation have any say?

Yes. After the IOC selects the venue for the Games, the city and the host country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) create the Organising Committee. It is through this Committee that the host can facilitate the inclusion of new sports in that specific addition of the Games.

Also Read | Explained: Could India host the Olympics in 2036 or beyond?

For instance, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee proposed and was able to introduce five new sports — surfing, karate, sport climbing, skateboarding, and baseball/softball. Surfing, karate and sports climbing will also feature this year, on the behest of the Paris Organising Committee.

What new sports are likely to be featured in this year’s Games?

Paris 2024 is set to introduce breaking as a new Olympic sport. According to the sport’s page on the Olympics website, it is an “urban dance style that originated in the United States in the 1970s. With roots in hip-hop culture, breaking first took form in the lively block parties in the Bronx borough of New York, and is characterised by acrobatic movements, stylised footwork”.

The Olympic competition will feature 16 boys and girls facing off against each other in 1v1 “battles” to music randomly played and selected by the DJ. The event will take place at La Concorde on August 9 and 10, 2024.

The writer is currently interning with The Indian Express.