Baseball and softball closer to approval for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Olympic leaders have voiced their support for adding baseball, softball and four additional sports to the program for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“Olympic Baseball and softball in Japan would be the biggest and most exciting international competition in the history of our sport,” said Riccardo Fraccari, president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

Skateboarding, surfing, karate and sports climbing were also on the list approved by the International Olympic Committee’s executive board on Wednesday.

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“We think it’s a great opportunity for the Games and for each of the individual sports to showcase themselves,” said Kit McConnell, the IOC sports director.

The board, which is meeting in Switzerland this week, will now submit the sports to a future vote by the full IOC membership.

If surfing is ultimately approved, there is some question about whether athletes will compete on natural or manufactured waves.

“We are looking at a natural beach for surfing,” McConnell said. “We’re confident we will find a beach that really has the technical standards for the world’s best surfers.”

The new sports would add 18 events and 474 athletes to the Tokyo Games.

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david.wharton@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesWharton