Snooker will not be part of 2020 Olympics

Officials at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided against the introduction of the sport into the Olympic fray. Eighteen other sports missed out – these were air sports, American football, bowls, bridge, chess, dancesport, floorball, flying disc, korfball, netball, orienteering, polo, racquetball, snooker, sumo, tug of war, underwater sports and water skiing.

The eight shortlisted federations are: baseball/softball, bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, surfing and wushu.

The ability for hosts to campaign for the introduction of new sports into their country’s games is a relatively new reform, introduced last year by IOC President Thomas Bach. It is aimed at attracting sponsors and gaining popularity.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association had lobbied heavily for the inclusion of the sport into the 2020 Olympics, but was unsuccessful in its bid.

Baseball, which is one of the shortlisted sports, is considered a frontrunner, as is softball.

Riccardo Fraccari, the President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), was extremely happy with the news, and said in a statement."This is a great day for our sport. Today baseball and softball - and the millions of athletes and fans who call it their sport - reached first base."

The Olympics will return to Asia for the first time since 2008, when they were held in Beijing, with the 2012 Olympics in London and 2016 due to be held in Rio.

The next opportunity for organisers to campaign for sports will come in September of this year. Final decisions on the inclusions to be made will happen in August 2016.