“We are completely moving away from the values of the Olympic Games. We are talking about money, audiences, we are not talking about sport anymore,” he declared. Steven Da Costa, first Olympic karate champion in history at -67 kg. So Da Costa showed his dissatisfaction with the decision of International Olympic Committee to leave karate out of the Paris 2024 Olympic program. “The door is effectively closed,” he said. Kit McConnell, sports director of the IOC. For the event in the French capital, the Organizing Committee requested that surfing, sport climbing, skateboarding and breaking be added to the 28 traditional sports.
So, karate was left behind. This sport is one of the great novelties of Tokyo 2020, where it gained a significant following due to its popularity in Japan. “In Tokyo, team sports and combat sports in particular are well represented, but more urban sports have brought a different dynamic to traditional sports,” he said. McConnell.
There are several criteria for selecting sports for the Olympic calendar, in addition to popularity. The universal nature, the athletes’ commitment and even the host country’s medal potential are taken into account. Furthermore, the IOC acknowledging its desire to “attract a younger audience”, thus justifying the inclusion of breakdancing. And all this has a marked economic background. The IOC understands that karate has finished its cycle in Japan and that in Paris is the opportunity to give visibility and promote other disciplines.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
