Golf and rugby sevens recommended for Olympic inclusion in 2016

From Steven Downes in Berlin

GOLF and rugby sevens will be recommended for Olympic inclusion in 2016 at the IOC Congress in October, following a vote from the 15 members of the IOC Executive Board.

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RECOMMENDED: Golf and rugby sevens set to face the IOC vote for Olympic inclusion in October (Getty Images)

The two sports will now face a vote by the 114 IOC members in Copenhagen in October with a simple majority required to be added to the Olympic schedule in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Executive Board have also confirmed women's boxing will be added to the Olympic programme at London 2012.

Both golf and rugby sevens mounted aggressive and sophisticated lobbying campaigns – highlighting their global appeal and their revenue potential for both television and commercial rights.

Both also claimed to be cheap to stage - with no requirements for new and expensive facilities, making both sports hot favourites ahead of the recommendation.

The decision means squash, along with karate, roller sports, baseball and softball will all miss out and will have to wait to 2013 to restate their cases and bid for inclusion in 2020.

Both squash and karate will consider themselves unfortunate as they were both recommended in 2005, only to miss out in the IOC vote.

But, in that instance, each sport required a two-thirds majority, while rugby sevens and golf will only require a simple majority.

Softball and baseball both featured at Beijing 2008, with the former having made its Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996 as a women's only sport, but both were removed from the schedule for London 2012.

Golf was last a part of the Olympics in 1904, when Canada’s George Lyon won gold, while rugby, as a 15-man game, was last contested at the 1924 Games in Paris – the United States winning gold.

Pivotal to golf's campaign was the support of world number one Tiger Woods, who has insisted the Olympics would mean as much to him as any of the four majors across the year.

As part of their bid, golf also pledged to ensure the top 15 ranked players in the world would be committed to featuring at the Olympics.

The proposed format would be a 72-hole strokeplay competition for men and women, with 60 players in each field.

Rugby sevens, which is already part of the Commonwealth Games, presented a strong case, based on the commercial benefits of the sport, and the ease with which it could be added to the schedule.

The International Rugby Board is also proposing to scrap the World Cup Sevens to ensure the Olympic competition would be the marquee event on the global calendar.

Meanwhile, the IOC's decision to add women's boxing to the London 2012 programme, means are no longer any men-only sports at the Olympics. 

At Beijing 2008, male competitors won 41 more gold medals than their female counterparts - prompting a call for gender equality in London.