Olympic nod for roller sports likely, says HK official

Roller sports, including freestyle inline skating, inline hockey and speed skating, have a 'great chance' of being selected to replace existing sports in the programme for the 2012 Olympic Games, said a top Hong Kong sports official.

On July 8 in Singapore, the International Olympic Committee will vote to decide which of the 28 sports currently included in the programme are dropped and which, if any, of the five contenders will replace them.

Squash, rugby, golf, karate and roller sports are on the waiting list. A report assessing the merits of the five hopefuls, plus the 28 sports eager to secure their positions, was published recently. The criteria for being chosen include global popularity, television and media coverage, gender equality and ticket sales.

'Roller Sports has a great chance because it meets all the criteria,' said Con Conway, a vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.