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Olympic Programme Commission Report Offers No Recommendations

The 265-page International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Programme Commission Report released Monday assesses the 28 sports hoping to stay in the Olympics and the five sports hoping to get in, but makes no case for any change, reports the Associated Press. It lists facts and figures across a range of 33 criteria but offers no recommendations for adding or dropping any sport.

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), which represents all 28 sports, is lobbying for the existing program to be upheld. ASOIF director Robert Fasulo, a member of the IOC program panel said, “the perception that the report is a bit bland or tame is saying something in itself. For us, that’s a good sign. Our hope is the report will reaffirm the strength of the program. If you’ve got a winning formula, you don’t need to change it”.

The report culminates a two-year review of the sports program covering issues such as global popularity, television and media coverage, ticket sales and anti-doping policies.

Track and field, swimming, artistic gymnastics and basketball were among those cited for substantial television and print coverage. The report pointed out problems in the judging and scoring of boxing and gymnastics.

The report said AIBA, the amateur boxing association, “needs to prove considerably the selection, training and evaluation of referees and judges, especially considering the high level impact of judging on the competition results and the continued lack of transparency in the system”.

The report also said baseball fails to bring Major League players to the Olympics and needs to make more effort to increase public interest and understanding in areas where the sport is not popular; the style of presentation of beach volleyballs as an Olympic sport should be considered further; and the image of race walking events in track and field “remains a concern” due to frequent disqualifications.

The report also had concerns about some of the sports on the waiting list. Regarding golf the IOC said there is “no certainty” that the top players would take part in the Olympics.

It also said the roller sports federation, which proposes speed skating events in the Olympics, has a “very low” number of national bodies and its strategic plan “appears to lack integration”.

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