SINGAPORE, July 9: The five sports denied a chance to feature in London’s 2012 Olympics were offered a glimmer of hope for inclusion in future Games on Saturday. International Olympic Committee (IOC) members refused to add any new sports to the Games programme on Friday. Their rejection of squash, karate, rugby sevens, golf and roller sports leaves the London 2012 programme with 26 sports after baseball and softball had been axed earlier in the day.

IOC president Jacques Rogge, closing the Singapore Session, said the five sports, along with baseball and softball, would be put to the vote again after the Beijing Games for inclusion on the 2016 programme.

“The new system we have in place, to review the Olympic programme after each Games, is designed to make sure the programme is attractive,” Rogge said.

“Therefore, you need to be able to have the chance to vote new sports in.

“I think it would be fair if Olympic sports and non-Olympic sports were treated the same way in terms of the number of votes needed.”

In Friday’s vote, sports already on the Olympic programme needed a simple majority of members’ votes to remain on the programme for the 2012 Games.—Reuters