The Paris Olympics is still three years away, but it seems there are worrying signs for us since reports say weightlifting and boxing may face the axe.
On July 12, 2021 the International Olympic Committee said it was reducing the number of events for weightlifing in Paris, from 14 (seven each for men and women) to 10, five each for men and women. Subsequently, the number of athletes would be reduced; from 196 in Tokyo to only 120. Sports analysts see that as a punishment for weightlifting, whose doping ghosts of the past (2008 and 2012) keep hounding the IOC as anti-doping methods improve.
But just two days ago, a news report said that boxing and weightlifting might face the axe as the IOC gave itself more power to remove sports.
Ouch.
Boxing in the Tokyo Olympics wasn’t managed by the international federation--the AIBA--but a special committee headed by the president of the gymnastics federation. There were no major judging or refereeing blunders, so I thought that maybe the IOC would put up a similar special committee for 2024. But I remember that the IOC was forced to make a special committee because it suspended AIBA in 2019, when the events for Tokyo were already finalized.
If AIBA’s suspension stays, we might not see boxing at all.
However, I’m more hopeful for weightlifting. AIBA got suspended because it basically denied it was having issues. As for weightlifting, the federation has acknowledged that doping has been a big issue in the past and it’s an issue that it must face head on. I hope that remark will help retain its spot in Paris.
The IOC has been going for sports that appeal to the younger generation, which is why breakdancing will make its debut in Paris.
Bowling, another sport where we have excelled internationally, was supposed to be included in Tokyo 2020 as early as 2015 but when the new events were finalized, it was disregarded in favor of the youth-oriented sports of skateboard, sport climbing and surfing. Bowling then looked for Paris but when it failed to make the cut in favor of breakdancing, I read a statement from one disappointed official who said he didn’t know what else bowling can do to make it to the Olympics. I forgot the exact line but I think he wrote something like “What more can bowling do? Hire rock stars?”
Remember, it was a demo sport in 1988 and usually, demo sports make the cut in the next Olympiad.
But there seems to be light at the end of this journey as bowling is optimistic of being added to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympiad since it has a strong following in the US. Officials, too, are hoping a worldwide social campaign will convince the IOC to include the sport.
For that, I hope they tap the Philippines. Let our social media noise help a sport for a change.
Why bat for bowling? Well, not only do we have a lot of good players, most of the local bowling associations have great grassroots development programs. Cebu, for instance, has produced many national athletes in the past.