Seven Sports Including Softball, Baseball, Golf Are Being Considered For 2016 Olympics

London, England (AHN) - Baseball, softball and golf are among the seven sports being considered for inclusion at the 2016 Olympics when the governing body meets in Denmark in 2009.

Considered a women's sport in the Olympics, softball, which made its debut in the Atlanta Games in 1996, was voted off the program together with baseball during a 2005 session by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Singapore. Softball missed the cut with just one vote while baseball failed to muster three more approvals to be included in the 2012 London Games. Both sports however will get a chance to be reinstated for the 2016 schedule at the IOC assembly in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2009.

Golf, karate, squash, rugby and roller skates will likewise be contending for the 2016 Olympics after being dropped by the IOC following softball and baseball's debacle.

Under a new formula adopted just last year, a sport needs only the simple majority in order to be voted into the program instead of the two-thirds majority required under the previous system.

Notices of consideration have been sent by the IOC to the world governing bodies of the seven sports mentioned, while questionnaires will follow by December with the required replies to be returned by March 2009. The IOC program commission will then prepare an assessment report on each of the seven sports by April 2009.

After various criticisms and issues were raised in Singapore during the IOC session, leaders of the concerned seven sports will be making presentations to the IOC executive board for the first time in Lausanne, Switzerland in June 2009. After which the board will forward its proposals to the full IOC in Copenhagen for the list of sports included. Sports program are fixed seven years ahead of the scheduled Olympics.

London is now left with 26 sports after the failure of softball and baseball to be included, leaving just one or two sports to be added in the 2016 games considering the ceiling of 28 sports set by the IOC. However, despite missing the cut both softball and baseball will still be played in at the Beijing Olympics this August.

Golf is trying to make an Olympic comeback following an endorsement from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem last month. The sport made its last appearance in the Olympics in 1904, while baseball made its debut as a medal sport only in 1992 during the Barcelona Games.

The host city for the 2016 Olympics will also be made during the IOC session in Copenhagen with Madrid, Chicago, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro leading the list of contenders.