LAUSANNE: The Organizing Committee of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games Thursday submitted its proposals for sports to be added to the event. These include the likes of skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing, which will be making its first appearance in the Tokyo 2020 Games.
However, in a new development, breakdancing is set for its debut in Paris as the 2024 Games aims to be more gender-balanced, youth-focused, urban and artistic.
“It is an incredible honour and privilege that, for the first time, a dance discipline is being considered for inclusion in the Olympic Games. It is a humbling experience for all members and supporters of DanceSport,” World DanceSport Federation President Shawn Tay said in a statement.
With breakdancing coming into the picture, it means squash will once again miss out narrowly on a Summer Olympics appearance.
The World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) issued a joint statement on the development: “WSF and PSA welcomed with great disappointment the announcement of the additional sports selection proposed for the Paris 2024 Olympic program. The unity of our sport at the international level is exceptional and is reinforced every day. WSF and PSA, supported by the entire squash family and with our athletes at the forefront of this movement, have led a strong campaign in keeping with the timings and criteria imposed by Paris 2024 and the IOC.
“Through this campaign we have shown that squash offers a dynamic and forward-looking agenda, driven by the drive to innovate, to ensure inclusion, sustainability, engagement with youth and equality of opportunity in all our activities in the field and outside.
“We believe that squash can easily integrate the Olympic program with minimal costs and a limited number of athletes.”
The Olympic Programme Commission will review the proposal before sending their report to the IOC executive board in March. It needs to be accepted before members of the IOC session come together to take a call.
