- Non-traditional sports such as dodgeball, foosball and pole dancing are one step closer to Olympic recognition.
- To become part of the games, these sports need to be recognized by multiple organizations and have proof that it is a widespread sport.
- Even if all this happens, however, new sports can only join the Olympics when others are discontinued.
The 2018 Winter Olympics haven't even begun, and people are already thinking about possible addition to the summer games.
In a recent statement, the Switzerland-based Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) granted observer status to the recognized organizations for dodgeball, foosball and pole dancing. This means that these non-traditional sports, as well as others like poker and armwrestling, could join the big leagues and become Olympic sports in the future.
"We warmly welcome our first Observers," President of GAISF Patrick Baumann said in the announcement. "This is an exciting time for them and for us and we will do everything within our remit to help them realize their full potential as International Federations within the global sport's family and, one day, maybe become part of the Olympic program."
According to GAISF, the newly created observer status has been, "designed as a first step in a clear pathway towards full GAISF membership." This, however, is just one in many steps towards being in the Olympics.
In order to have competitions at the game, the dodgeball, foosball, and pole dancing organizations need to become full members of an International Sports Federation and be recognized by the International Olympic Committee, as well as fill out multiple forms and petitions, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. They also need to include proof that the sport is practiced in more than a certain number of countries on multiple continents by both sexes, and they have to be compliant with the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Even if these sports meet all the compliances and fill out the proper forms, Fox News reports that new sports only join when others are discontinued. So it's unclear how soon dodgeball, foosball, and poll dancing pros will be vying for the Olympic gold medal. But hey, they have some time.
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