Tokyo 2020 approves short-list of applicants for additional events at the 2020 Olympic Games – Disc Sports fail to make the cut

In Official Communication, Press Release * Official Communication by WFDF

The World Flying Disc Federation announces that the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has approved the short-list of eight International Federations for potential inclusion as an additional event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games without including a Flying Disc sport.

The announcement was made today by the Additional Event Program Panel of Tokyo 2020`s Organising Committee, concluding the second stage of the application procedure before entering the official phase II of the process. The IFs of the eight sports included to the short-list: Baseball/Softball (WBSC), Bowling (WB), Karate (WKF), Roller Sports (FIRS), Sport Climbing (IFSC), Squash (WSF), Surfing (ISA), Wushu (IWUF).

Recommendation 10 of Olympic Agenda 2020 allows Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) to make a proposal for the inclusion of one or more additional events on the Olympic programme for that edition of the Olympic Games. A total number of 26 International Federations, including WFDF, had submitted approved applications for the additional event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Tokyo’s final choice of events to be proposed to the IOC will be made by 30 September 2015. The final decision on which new event will feature in the Olympic programme of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be made by the 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.

“The World Flying Disc Federation had proudly accepted the invitation extended by the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to apply for inclusion of a Flying Disc event at the 2020 Olympic Games,” commented WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “We are very grateful to the Tokyo 2020 Organisers for this unique chance to put Flying Disc and WFDF on the screen of public global attention.”

“We congratulate the successful sports proposed by our fellow IFs, most of whom have been pursuing inclusion in the program for decades. Even though we did not get selected for the next level of consideration, we feel confident that we have made a compelling proposal, especially given our youth appeal, and we will continue to pursue our ambitions for Flying Disc sports to be included in the Olympic Games some day in the future.”