The prospect of Tiger Woods competing for an Olympic gold medal could come closer to reality on Thursday.

Golf, along with rugby sevens, look to be the favourites among the sports being considered for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Games by the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC executive board will select two sports from a proposed list of seven, which also includes baseball, softball, squash, karate and roller sports. The 15-member board will submit two sports for ratification in a vote of the full 106-member IOC assembly in Copenhagen in October.

via CTV Olympics – Golf and rugby rumoured favourites for 2016.

I like the idea of Rugby in the Olympics, especially when considering that most of the international rugby players around the world could be categorized as amateur due to them not playing in professional leagues. I don’t like the idea of letting Tiger Woods and other pros in the Olympics the same way I disagree with NHL and NBA players being there. Soccer has some pro players playing but I think they have to be under 23… so really a few years away from their peak anyhow.

The IOC executive board will select two sports from a proposed list of seven, which also includes baseball, softball, squash, karate and roller sports. The 15-member board will submit two sports for ratification in a vote of the full 106-member IOC assembly in Copenhagen in October.

Baseball is looking to be reinstated. But I highly doubt some of the big name players will be able to get past the drug tests.

I have wanted karate to be there for some time, but from what I heard, it is difficult in the past to have the sporting event due to the numerous styles in the martial art. But apparently, the World Karate Federation has come up with some common rules that are applied to all styles so maybe even Russian and French judges won’t fuck it up.