Olympic Games: from dodgeball to paintball, 6 sports to help attract a younger audience
- Billiards, bowling and fishing have failed in bid for inclusion, but these six sports could get the next generation hooked
The Olympic catalogue expands with each iteration, and in Paris athletes in 32 sports will compete on sand, water, in city parks and on running tracks.
Every four years, the International Olympic Committee unveils a handful of events slated for inclusion in the next Games, and while the likes of lacrosse and tag football will get their chance in Los Angeles in 2028, billiards, bowling and fishing have been denied a spot.
While those sports did not resonate with the IOC’s pursuits of attracting a younger audience, we think six other sports might merit inclusion in the future.
Darts
Away from the professional circuit, darts is most often played in pubs, bars and clubs, with beer in hand and music playing in the background.
But rather than a justification for its exclusion from the Olympics, this underscores darts’ versatility, welcoming players of all genders, ages and fitness levels.
Played professionally in more than 70 countries, darts appears deceptively simple, but in truth requires meticulous calculations, steely nerves and elite hand-eye coordination.
As a favourite pastime for the younger generation, maybe it’s time it steps up to the Olympic oche.
