Softball is getting closer to being back in the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) supported the proposal add five new sports to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo this week (https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-executive-board-supports-tokyo-2020-package-of-new-sports-for-ioc-session) (h/t NY Daily News) (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/baseball-softball-added-2020-tokyo-olympics-article-1.2657325).

Baseball and softball, along with karate, skateboarding, sports climbing and surfing were the sports supported.

The final vote will take place this summer at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Softball's return is not yet official. The five-sport package will now be submitted to the IOC Session. Even if softball is voted in for 2020, it doesn't mean it will remain for subsequent Games.



Softball was in the Summer Olympics from 1996 to 2008. It was removed from the program beginning in 2012. When the IOC Board agreed to oust softball in 2009 it was the first time in 69 years a sport had been removed from the Olympics.

The International Softball Federation and International Baseball Federation have teamed together in an effort to get both sports added back to the Olympics program.

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD (EB) OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) TODAY SUPPORTED THE PROPOSAL TO ADD THE PACKAGE OF FIVE NEW SPORTS TO THE PROGRAMME OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020. IF APPROVED AT THE 129TH IOC SESSION IN RIO DE JANEIRO IN AUGUST, THE CHANGE WOULD BE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE EVOLUTION OF THE OLYMPIC PROGRAMME IN MODERN HISTORY.



Written by Marc Raimondi