The Olympics has, for many, become the perfect way to judge how ‘big’ a sport is. In the eyes of some, if it is played at the Olympics, then it is a serious sport worthy of respect. If the Olympics does not have a space for that sport, though, it is seen as an afterthought. However, the following sports are pretty fair examples that this is not the case at all.
Here are three hugely popular sports that, so far, do not become part of the Olympic curriculum (but might in the future).
Squash
If you wanted to be harsh you could say that squash is just a different take on tennis, but that would be both untrue and unfair. Squash has a history of being played in Britain and across Europe, and it has been seen as a sport in its own right since the 1860s. Still, despite the fact well over ten million people play squash, it is not an Olympic sport.
This might change eventually, but it shows no signs of adjusting or adapting right away to be part of the Olympic calendar in any of the upcoming editions.
Mixed Martial Arts
While boxing is a key part of the Olympic curriculum, MMA is yet to receive the same plaudits. Despite being the newest of the sports on this list, though, it is seemingly the closest to being awarded a genuine Olympic status. To some that might seem a bit strange – boxing is pretty toned down with the use of more padding and guards than you get in professional boxing.
Could the Olympics, which tends to focus on wholesome sports, really bring MMA to the table? And if they did, would it need to be toned down? Would adjusting how MMA works take away from its wide-reaching appeal?
Cricket
Given cricket is the largest sport across much of Asia and is hugely popular in places like England, South Africa, and Australia, its lack of Olympic participation is strange, to say the least. Cricket has been around since the late 1700s and is seen as a fine example of a high-class, endearing sport.
It was part of the first modern take on the Olympics, back in 1896, but it was not a returning sport and thus far has never been seen again at the Olympics. Make no mistake, though, this looks set to change shortly.