The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sanctioned the initial sports program for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At least 28 sports have been approved for the program, including skateboarding, sport climbing, sailing and surfing.
The decision was made during the 139th Session of the IOC in Beijing on Thursday. While inclusion in the 'core' sport turns out to be a huge positive, doubts still prevail over the inclusion of boxing and weightlifting.
Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had given boxing and weightlifting 18 months to get a grip on internal problems. They had been warned of possible consequences, including being excluded for the 2028 Summer Games. This step was taken keeping in view the issues pertaining to corruption and doping.
IOC President Thomas Bach was part of the Executive Board meeting in Lausanne ahead of the 2022 Beijing Games. He has long voiced concerns in connection with issues concerning authenticity and doping in the sport.
IOC president Thomas Bach said:
"The three sports left isolated still have a pathway for inclusion at the 2023 annual meeting of the IOC membership. AIBA must demonstrate that it has addressed concerns around its governance, its financial transparency and the integrity of its refereeing and judging."
The 28 sports included in the initial sports program are athletics, rowing, badminton, basketball, canoe and kayaking, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, golf and gymnastics.
Handball, hockey, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing, volleyball, surfing, skating, judo, wrestling, swimming, rugby, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, and sport climbing are the rest of the sports.
IOC session looks into additional proposals as well:
The IOC Session acknowledged additional proposals from the IOC Executive Board (EB), recommended by the Olympic Program Commission (OPC).
The IOC and the 2028 Organizing Committee also renewed their joint commitment to prioritizing a reduction in the cost and complexity of hosting the Games. This will be finalized prior to the IOC Session on 2023.
Whereas the IOC will continue to monitor the evolution of the international match calendar, with regards to inclusion of football.