Now that we have had time to adjust to Brisbane being on the world stage in 2032, we are starting to drill down into what this means for the Brisbane economy, and more importantly as a proud sporting nation, we would like to know what sports will be included and excluded at the Brisbane Olympics. Baseball in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics?
Though Baseball was a big hit (pardon the pun) in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it will not be featured at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The good news for Baseball is that it has been accepted by the IOC into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In 2019, the New York Times stated that there around 68.5 million people attended major baseball games in America. Although this was down from $80 million people in 2017, these numbers are still significant.
It then makes sense that Los Angeles would include baseball as part of their Olympics repertoire. However, what does this mean for Baseball fans in Australia though? It seems too early to tell, however Softball Australia and Baseball Australia have joined forces to rally for inclusion for Brisbane 2032.
Baseball Australia chief executive Glenn Williams stated: “We’re looking forward to working with the WBSC, our fellow national sporting organisations, and softball and baseball stakeholders across Australia to secure our sports’ future.
“Both softball and baseball are incredibly inclusive and marketable sports globally, they deserve a permanent fixture in the Olympic cycle.”
The international governing bodies for bowls, rugby league and netball have all expressed hope of being added to the programme for Brisbane 2032.
Reference articles –
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/22/sports/baseball/baseball-popularity-world-series.html
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1114371/wbsc-2032-australia