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(ATR) Billiards is the latest sport to launch a campaign to join the program of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Some of the world’s top players showed their skills with a cue stick November 30 at a demonstration of the sport at the Eiffel Tower.
The World Confederation of Billiard Sports is leading the push to be included as one of the sports that Paris organizers can select for the 2024 program.
Tokyo is the first organizing committee to choose extra sports. Baseball/softball, karate, skateboard, sport climbing and surfing were selected two years ago.
Paris 2024 will make its choice in 2020.
In addition to billiards, sports with their sights on Paris include baseball/softball, boules, squash and surfing.
To be considered for the Olympics, the federation for the sport must be recognized by the IOC. Currently numbering 32, these federations are waiting in the wings to join the Olympics, having already cleared IOC standards that apply to sports on the program.
The WCBShas been recognized by the IOC since 1998. The federation was formed in 1992 and includes 135 member associations. The federation includes three disciplines: carom, pool and snooker. All three are included in the Olympic proposal.
WCBS President Ian Anderson from Australia, French federation president Jean-Paul Sinanian and Jean Pierre Guiraud, coordinator of the Olympic project for the WCBS spoke at the event last week.
The athletes who participated are all world champions. Jeremy Bury of France, Shaun Murphy from the U.K. and Austrian Jasmin Ouschan all spoke about their love of the sport and the importance of joining the Olympic program.
The competition will be gender equal, with 48 total entries.
Discussions are said to underway to use the 2024 table tennis venue at Porte de Versailles.
The WCBS plans an international competition in March 2019 in Paris as the next step in its campaign.
A petition to include billiard sports in Paris on Change.org has received nearly 18,000 signatures.
Reported by Ed Hula.
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