The next olympic sport?

[Which Tyler]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36852985

A petition calling for jousting to be made an Olympic sport has been launched by English Heritage.

The charity's jousting expert Dominic Sewell told BBC's Radio 5 live that the medieval pursuit was a "worldwide phenomenon that should be recognised".

Only about 20 people in the UK joust competitively, but the charity said tournaments were held across the world.

Peition: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/forms/petition

 

[SelimNiai]

If Worldwide Phenomenons are now to be mentioned as Olympic Events then Pokemon Go needs to be mentioned.

Jousting is nothing but fat men with fatter beards dressed in stupid clothing who seem to have forgotten its the 21st Century now.

 

[Which Tyler]

Jousters are likely to live longer than Pokemon players though:

We've had kids being stuck in caves: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-36805615

Cars crashing: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36850110

Police being called for Pokemon theft: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-36825934

People walking out into traffic: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-36854134

Kids being shot: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36818384

Government warnings over minefields: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36841828


The Darwin awards are going to need a new section, purely for Pokemon players.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Used to be jousting at a stately home near where I grew up. Even as a kid it was clear to me there was a lot of match fixing going on - the IOC would be advised to stay well away from that potential ****storm if you ask me.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Half of the sports at the Olympics celebrates english heritage. What makes Jousting so special?? I'd rather have MMA as an Olympic event.

 

[Which Tyler]

Used to be jousting at a stately home near where I grew up. Even as a kid it was clear to me there was a lot of match fixing going on - the IOC would be advised to stay well away from that potential ****storm if you ask me.

Demonstrations or competitive? there's a huge difference.

Half of the sports at the Olympics celebrates english heritage. What makes Jousting so special?? I'd rather have MMA as an Olympic event.

Well, if we absolutely HAVE to be serious here; then squash is the one the IOC have no excuse for excluding.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I have done some jousting great fun.

Olympic sport though prob not.

 

[nickdnz]

Half of the sports at the Olympics celebrates english heritage. What makes Jousting so special?? I'd rather have MMA as an Olympic event.

I wouldn't.

Besides the fact that the sport is almost entirely run by professional entities, that drug scandal's are already rife, and that it encompasses sports already being represented in the Olympics such as boxing, wrestling and judo - how the hell would you win a gold medal? Fighting four or five UFC fights within the space of a tournament would bus ridiculous. In boxing you have amateur rules (and until recently only amateurs competing), which incorporate only three-three minute rounds, head-gear and 12 ounce gloves for anyone over middleweight. UFC gloves are usually 4 ounces, with amateurs going to six..

Well, if we absolutely HAVE to be serious here; then squash is the one the IOC have no excuse for excluding.

I both love, and play squash. But as amazing as it is, it's probably never going to fill arenas. I would like it included though. Good shout.

I think the Olympics must bring back the tug-of-war..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_of_war_at_the_Summer_Olympics

 

[TRF_heineken]

Demonstrations or competitive? there's a huge difference.


Well, if we absolutely HAVE to be serious here; then squash is the one the IOC have no excuse for excluding.

On that serious note... What does Elephants play Cooper Mini?




Squash!

- - - Updated - - -

I wouldn't.

Besides the fact that the sport is almost entirely run by professional entities, that drug scandal's are already rife, and that it encompasses sports already being represented in the Olympics such as boxing, wrestling and judo - how the hell would you win a gold medal? Fighting four or five UFC fights within the space of a tournament would bus ridiculous. In boxing you have amateur rules (and until recently only amateurs competing), which incorporate only three-three minute rounds, head-gear and 12 ounce gloves for anyone over middleweight. UFC gloves are usually 4 ounces, with amateurs going to six..

I think the Olympics must bring back the tug-of-war..

I'm not saying UFC, I'm saying MMA. They have their own website too: http://www.immaf.org/

Do it like boxing where only Amateurs can compete...

 

[Which Tyler]

I both love, and play squash. But as amazing as it is, it's probably never going to fill arenas. I would like it included though. Good shout.

I think the Olympics must bring back the tug-of-war..

Depends on the size of the arena I guess - but it's filled out the arenas for the Commonwealth games - and attracted decent TV audiences IIRC. I doubt it'd be any worse than Badminton for live or TV audiences. The Commonwealth games have also proven that it's not too fast to work on TV; which was a previous argument. Furthermore, it provides medal opportunities for countries who tend to the lower ends of the medal tables - at Glasgow India (56th at London 2012) and Malaysia (64) both won golds, with New Zealand (15th) also picking up a medal; take it to the olympics, and you almost guarantee Egypt (59) getting medals.

Was also the bloody obvious choice before Golf threw a lot of money at IOC delegates. You moto is "faster, higher, stronger" and have to choose 2 from rugby 7s, golf or squash...



I absolutely agree with tug-of-war; big final-day event with any athletes still kicking around; couple of boxers, weightlifters, shot putter at anchor etc in rugby boots.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Replace the olympics with a proper tourney.
Jousting, melee, pelting peasants with dung, everything being announced by Brian Blessed.
I'd buy that for a dollar.

 

[RedruthRFC]

This is either a cheap publicity stunt, exceedingly frivolous of English Heritage are totally deluded. I'd have thought that it would struggle to meet one of the criteria, talk about all of them.

I both love, and play squash. But as amazing as it is, it's probably never going to fill arenas. I would like it included though. Good shout.

Is potential attendance one of the criteria? I did read up on them a while ago, but can't recall them that clearly. I'd have thought it has as much pulling power as many existing sports. Equally the Olympics has sufficient cachet that I'd have thought that an under eights game of tiddly winks wouldn't struggle to fill an arena. Squash has the strongest claim of any sport I can think of, I hope it gets in soon. Another that comes to mind is netball, I'd have thought that it ticks most of the boxes, but I guess that the total lack of gender equality kicks it into touch. The only other shout that comes to mind is pool. I imagine that it would have to work hard to tick some of the required boxes (drug testing for one), but it is a very international and I imagine participation numbers are massive. I'm sure plenty of people will say that it's not a sport, but the IOC's view of what constitutes a sport of pretty broad - take a look at the physiques of some of the shooting and archery competitors and tell me that they're sportsmen!

Maybe I'm highlighting my negative outlook on life here, but I find myself more annoyed by sports that are in which I don't believe should be than deserving sports left on the outside. My personal view is that sports in which the Olympic gold isn't the pinnacle of achievement in the sport shouldn't have a place. On that basis golf (many big names clearly don't care) should be straight back out of the door along with football (what a farce of a tournament) and tennis (Wimbledon is still the pinnacle). There's plenty of other sports that I would question the international credentials and whether the participation numbers justify their inclusion.

Edit: maybe basketball should be added to the list of sports in which the Olympics it isn't the pinnacle. I'd struggle to believe that the likes of Charles Barkley or Patrick Ewing wouldn't trade their Olympic golds for an NBA Championship ring.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Hope it's handball just to see how the IOC differentiates between Olympic Handball and not olympic handball then.

They should also try to introduce a sport that completely ruins the golf season for that year...

 

[RedruthRFC]

The Commonwealth games have also proven that it's not too fast to work on TV; which was a previous argument.

How on earth did that ever hold water? I've watched whole games of ice hockey and only had a vague clue where the puck was on two or three occasions! That doesn't seem to stop it being included in the winter Olympics or attracting decent TV audiences in countries where it is popular.

 

[Which Tyler]

How on earth did that ever hold water? I've watched whole games of ice hockey and only had a vague clue where the puck was on two or three occasions! That doesn't seem to stop it being included in the winter Olympics or attracting decent TV audiences in countries where it is popular.

It was an argument made by the sports in competition for an olympic place; not by the IOC - so the likes of Karate or Golf's organising bodies were saying that it's too fast for TV, and that you'd struggle to get more than 50-odd people who could see it live.
Even if the argument ever held any water; it would have been irrelevant for olympic inclusion; which is about things like popularity as a participant sport; breadth of countries who play to a high standard, boosting variety on the medals table, sexual equality (at all levels), professionalism of the organising body etc etc.
Mind, it was all a while ago now; so I'm going by memory (though I was quite active in promoting/supporting squash locally at the time)

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I would like to see Kite Surfing.

 

[nickdnz]

Depends on the size of the arena I guess - but it's filled out the arenas for the Commonwealth games - and attracted decent TV audiences IIRC. I doubt it'd be any worse than Badminton for live or TV audiences. .

The thing with Badminton is - it's the national sport of Indonesia - which has 255 million people, has a huge following in Malaysia, India and other Asian nations. It kind of falls under the radar of Western sports broadcasters, but it has a huge following. Squash doesn't have. Again, I'd love to see it included regardless, it's surely got to have higher participation levels than many other sports present.


Once thing for me that really matters the most; if a sport is going to be included in the Olympics then it should be the pinnacle of that sport. Football being in there - especially with the bizarre and arbitrary criteria to be in there - is a joke for me. I don't mind Tennis being in there so much, so long as the best athletes competing are there and it is the highest prestige. Even rugby 7s I don't mind being in there - as it happily replaces the 7s World Cup - however what is more disappointing is just how little regard the 7s in NZ and even the UK - has been treated with. You have almost no pro Super Rugby player willing to join the 7s team. The team which we will be fielding I think is far, far from our potential best.

 

[ncurd]

How on earth did that ever hold water? I've watched whole games of ice hockey and only had a vague clue where the puck was on two or three occasions! That doesn't seem to stop it being included in the winter Olympics or attracting decent TV audiences in countries where it is popular.

Ice Hockey is a vast improvement with advent of HD TV.....at least I've never had an issue with it.

Just watching the NHL in this country is a pain in the arse.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Ice Hockey is a vast improvement with advent of HD TV.....at least I've never had an issue with it.

Just watching the NHL in this country is a pain in the arse.

It would be brilliant if someone other than Premier sports picked it up.

 

[Peat]

At least the KHL is coming to London, that shoul be an improvement for ice hockey in this country.