Approximately 13,000 athletes compete in the Olympics. There are also 33 sports and 400 different events in the Olympics. Even though the Olympics has different events for many types of athletes, there are some people who feel that more sports need to be added to the Olympics. Below are five of the sports that people feel should be added to the Olympics:
Softball
In the past, softball was a part of the Olympics, and no one really knows why it was removed. Rumor has it that the International Olympic Committee removed softball in order to prevent the United States from dominating the sport. Four American Olympic teams won one silver medal and three gold medals before the sport was removed. Since 1996 the competition had been dominated by the US, Japan, and Australia, with China winning one silver medal in ’96.
Beach Soccer
Sepp Blatter, who is the president of FIFA tried to get this sport added to the 2016 Olympics. However, his request was denied. Beach soccer is becoming more and more popular in many places in the world. Hopefully, it will one day be included in The Olympics.
Futsal
Many people requested Futsal to be added to the 2016 Olympics, but that request was also denied. Futsal is very similar to soccer. However, futsal is played indoors on a hard court with five people on a side. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, so it would make sense for Futsal to be added to the Olympic game list.
Mixed Martial Arts
Pankration was a sport that was played in ancient Greece during the B.C. times. It was held at some of the ancient Olympic Games. Pankration combines elements of wrestling and boxing, and it set the foundation for Mixed martial arts.
Mixed martial arts is tied to ancient Greek games, and it is very popular in many parts of the world. That is why mixed martial arts would fit in nicely with the Olympics.
Bowling
Bowling was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Olympics, which was held in Seoul Korea. Many people consider bowling a sport and believe that it should be a part of the Olympics. In fact, some people even have bowling competitions every week, and the winners get big prizes.
The Olympic Games are great, but there is a-lot of room for improvement. One of the ways that the Olympic Games can improve is by adding more sports. Beach Soccer, futsal, softball, mixed martial arts and bowling are just a few of the many sports that should be added to the Olympic Games. If more sports were added to the Olympics, then more people would participate.
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Jack Smith is a fan of all sports, and like to blog about a variety of sports topics.
Excellent article! Especially think bowling should be added, and cheerleading.