What sports would you like to see added/deleted

[Leicesterpool]

How about sex, sex is exercise to some.

[Guest MattP]

Out: Rugby, football, tennis, basketball and any sport I've missed whose pinnacle is not and never will be the Olympics.

The Olympics doesn't need these side-shows and it shouldn't have them swaggering around taking a glint off of the magic of the height of athletic achievement.

Completely agree.

and Cricket fans calling for more 20/20!!! :(

[SOCCERROO FOX]

AFL - would mean a certain gold for us

[Captain...]

Completely agree.

and Cricket fans calling for more 20/20!!! :(

It's more to raise its profile there are still too few countries playing any form of the game, it could be done like football now only younger/non international players, but then that is a little daft. But an Olympic competition may encourage the likes of the US, China, or even the likes of Iraq, Iran or UAE to compete.

[ADK]

Can't imagine the yanks playing cricket.

[Leicesterpool]

Can't imagine the yanks playing cricket.

But they do

[Guest Bilo]

Afghanistan would enjoy it too.

Also, the IOC have long fretted about how to get the Indian subcontinent to take the Olympics to heart. An example of this is that Pakistan have sent just 21 athletes to London, Bangladesh five and Sri Lanka have sent seven.

Considering the combined population of this country is nearly 350 million, a total of 33 athletes from these three countries isn't a great show; especially when you consider that the only athletes among these who are competitive are the Pakistani hockey team. This is largely because in the Indian subcontinent cricket is THE sport and everything else is a pretty poor relation. You could extend that further and look at India who have sent 83 athletes to London, their largest ever contingent, and achieved one bronze to date. This is the most populous nation on earth yet India are joint 39th in the medal table with nations like Mongolia and Belarus.

Until cricket is part of the Olympic programme, this disinterest in the games will continue. Add T20 to the Olympic programme and you'll see serious interest from the Indian subcontinent and the 1.6 billion people living there. That could only be a good thing for world sport.

[Guest Bilo]

Can't imagine the yanks playing cricket.

They do.

As a matter of fact, the ICC has 105 members to date though not all are sovereign states that could compete at an Olympic tournament.

That said, a tournament of 16 teams like the football tournament would be easily achievable.

[Guest MattP]

I couldnt care less if the Sub-continent doesnt get involved, its their job to catch up to the rest of the World, personally I dont even think it would help, Indians love Indians playing cricket, nothing else, I remember the Champions League final being played in front of 20% of the stadium as it involved two non Indian sides a few years back, we shouldnt need to go chasing them by throwing their favourite sport in its least purist form into it, Afghanistan are well on there way to becoming a test nation as well, they have made incredible strides in T20 already without the need of the Olympics and they are fine. They will be a full ODI nation within 5 years.

As for Iraq/Iran I think the last thing World cricket needs at the minute is a host of other nations thrown into the game that can't host home matches for the forseeable future and will see more series like Pakistan v England played in front of 400 people for 4 weeks in the UAE.

Iran made one of their athletes withdraw from the Olympics in 2004 because they were drew against an Israeli, I wouldnt be making a special effort to get more of them in at the moment.

[21st Century Fox]

I think Women's football still has a place in the Olympics but I'd like to see Futsal introduced.

[ADK]

what about motorsports?

[Captain...]

I think Women's football still has a place in the Olympics but I'd like to see Futsal introduced.

Yeah I'd go for that.

Nobody backing my squash call yet, seems to fit the bill.

[Captain...]

what about motorsports?

No, if you are not travelling under your own power them it is not an Olympic spot, I understand you could argue the horses are not travelling under your own power, but I would much rather get rid of the horses than introduce any motorised sport.

[Jaspa]

Yeah I'd go for that.

Nobody backing my squash call yet, seems to fit the bill.

I was gonna say squash myself, but it seems alot of people dont like it much

Very tough sport, close proximity and enduring

Cant see it happening unless it gets hugely more popular

What are the exact credentials for a sport to be proposed for the Olympics anyway ?

[Jordan]

Baseball (and softball) certainly have enough worldwide participation to meet criteria to be Olympics sports and were getting along just fine there, even without participation from Major League Baseball. Those sports should have never been removed from the program and I'd hope they can be re-instated for 2020.

I agree with the feeling here that twenty20 cricket and rugby sevens. As for how Americans would feel about that, well, I can't see cricket becoming anything more than a sport for anyone besides those fresh off-the-boat anytime soon. Rugby, however, while still a niche sport, has seen a lot of grassroots growth in recent years, particularly at colleges and among amateur clubs. Having rugby sevens at the Olympics would give that sport a big boost here.

Rock climbing is an interesting suggestion.

I hear kitesurfing (???) is going to be added to Rio 2016.

It'd be tough to drop sports... perhaps synchronized swimming?

As far as I know there isn't a basketball world cup so that's probably permissible but I agree about football and tennis.

FIBA has a Basketball World Cup, which shares the same cycle as the FIFA World Cup. There's a real chance that NBA players will not be allowed to participate in future Olympics--possibly starting as early as Rio 2016. There are a few reasons for this: 1) The NBA franchise owners do not want their foreign star players to get hurt playing internationally, 2) The NBA isn't making much money--if any at all--from the Olympics, and primarily does so on a secondary market (say, the Olympics sparks more interest in basketball worldwide, and fans worldwide start watching more NBA and buying gear, etc.) and 3) There have been rumors of the NBA looking to establish and govern their own "World Cup," where they would stand to control the revenue earned in that tournament.

[Jaspa]

Baseball (and softball) certainly have enough worldwide participation to meet criteria to be Olympics sports and were getting along just fine there, even without participation from Major League Baseball. Those sports should have never been removed from the program and I'd hope they can be re-instated for 2020.

Rock climbing is an interesting suggestion.

No-one cares about Rounders, Jordan

And Rock Climbing would be a good bet, but I would rather have Free Running, give the Olympics a modern twist and something very fun to watch and participate in

[masterg59]

if any sport is involved, it is to be like boxing where it is amateur and players/boxers turn pro afterwards

[RobHawk]

Lacrosse would be a good shout, i play it so am obviously biased but i think it would benefit massively from olympic inclusion because its such a good game to watch!!

[Leicester_Numan]

Out - Any sport where professionals are competing until they ban them and only allow amateurs. In - 9 Ball Pool, Kabbadi, Anything with extreme in it's name, Darts - I might even come out of retirement for that, Free Running could be fun to watch, Ladies Beach Volleyball Sixes please

[Leicester_Numan]

Yeah I'd go for that.

Nobody backing my squash call yet, seems to fit the bill.

Hasn't squash been in the Olympics before? Sports often get dropped and brought back

[Zingari]

There are far too many superfluous sports and events in the modern Olympic Games.

I’d take the surgeon’s knife and get rid of everything except the real blue riband events such as ;

Men’s individual time trial, cycling ,

The rowing pairs for women

Men’s 200 m. breaststroke

Equestrian team eventing

Women 400m freestyle swimming

Men’s team gymnastics

I might think of a few more worthy events over the next few days but it really is time to stop constantly introducing all sorts of Mickey Mouse sports just so that foreigners can win medals.

Our sense of British fair play can be a real hindrance some times.

[purpleronnie]

I would remove all the sports where the ultimate prize is not the olympic gold medal...i.e. tennis.

[Zingari]

How about sex, sex is exercise to some.

I'd dominate the singles event for years

[welck12]

I would remove all the sports where the ultimate prize is not the olympic gold medal...i.e. tennis.

I would agree with this fully except for one little quirk, some sports it is and isnt. i.e cycling, whats the pinniacle there? Olympic medal or winning Tour De France? Some sports its not so clear, but many like football, basketball its obvious its not so they shouldnt be there

[Guest MattP]

I would agree with this fully except for one little quirk, some sports it is and isnt. i.e cycling, whats the pinniacle there? Olympic medal or winning Tour De France? Some sports its not so clear, but many like football, basketball its obvious its not so they shouldnt be there

The TDF is the pinnicle but you would still include the Time Trial and Road Race as it's completely different, Cycling is impossible to judge on that basis as there are so many different disciplines in the sport, they should add a mountain stage into the Olympics as well for me.