Rogge, while expressing regret for the loss of baseball and softball, said "the IOC has chosen quality over quantity" after its decision not to replace them on the 2012 programme.
In the case of baseball, Rogge says it's a case of the sport not furnishing the best players as well as problems with drug testing those players, reports aroundtherings.com
For softball, the question is universality, Rogge says, with not enough countries playing the game. The US has won three consecutive gold medals in the three times softball has been part of the Olympics.
Rogge says the IOC will work with the five new federations whose sports were rejected for 2012 (golf, karate, roller sports, rugby and squash) "to see how to make them more appealing to the IOC".
At the same time, the IOC is also expected to cast a wider net for new sports when it launches its next programme review and other sports could be considered before new recommendations are made.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) has expressed disappointment over the decision and IRB president, Dr Syd Millar, said: “In terms of broadcast, commercial and ticket sales opportunities it has been demonstrated through the IOC’s own evaluation process that Rugby Sevens is among the top five in most categories in comparison to the existing Olympic sports.
“In the last 12 months 86 countries have competed at IRB Sevens events, the Rugby World Cup Sevens in March at Hong Kong was played in front of 120,000 spectators and was broadcast to 300 million homes with a potential audience of 700 million in 153 territories.”
“The result of this decision not to add new sports is also very disappointing for the smaller nations of the world and African nations who often have little opportunity to compete at the highest levels in the Olympic Games. Rugby Sevens, with Fiji as the reigning world champion, provides these nations with the opportunity to be very competitive.”
World Squash Federation chief executive Christian Leighton believes that the positive responses received by squash in Singapore will ultimately lead to realisation of the sport’s Olympic dream.
With more than 50 per cent of the votes in the first poll amongst IOC members, squash was immediately added to the 2012 programme – later joined by karate. However, when the vote came for each sport to be 'recognised as an Olympic sport' – for which a two-thirds majority was needed – neither achieved the required proportion. Squash gained 63 votes, seven short of the 70 required.
“This is a continuing process and, whilst there will be widespread disappointment within the squash community around the world today, we must work on all the positive aspects on what has been achieved over the past few years and continue to gain more support from IOC members in the future,” said Leighton.
“We were so very, very, close – but I have no doubt that we will get into the Olympic Games in the near future, and that will continue to be our main drive.”
