BERLIN Rugby Sevens and golf virtually secured their spots as the two new sports for the 2016 Olympic Games when the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Executive Board voted in their favour here on Thursday.

The decision, taken by secret ballot, is not binding as it has to be rubber-stamped by the entire IOC membership in a vote in Copenhagen in October - if successful it would take the amount of sports to 28.

Seven sports had been vying for inclusion to the 2016 Games, the venue for which will be voted on when the IOC meets in Denmark, with baseball, softball, rollersports, karate and squash all missing out.

The board also gave approval to the inclusion of women's boxing in the 2012 London Olympics. Boxing had been the only summer Olympic sport without women competitors.

Rugby cruised through securing a majority of nine in the second round of voting - golf which had barely survived through the first two rounds for the first sport with only one vote in each of them then secured the majority of the rugby votes which helped them to progress.

For the five sports who lost out there is no hope of continuing their fight as IOC president Jacques Rogge has said they cannot come to the vote as an alternative option should one of the recommended sports be voted down.

Rogge, a former rugby player himself, reiterated that the game was up for the losing sports.

'The Olympic charter is extremely clear,' said the Belgian, who revealed that the vote in October would be done in alphabetical order with both results being announced only after the two votes had been completed.

'The Executive Board may propose items for the consideration of the Session.

'The two sports are not in the Games unless the Session votes for them.

'However, the Session cannot vote on other sports.'

Rugby, which in its traditional 15-a-side format featured at the Olympics four times at the start of the 20th century, had always been the front runner.

After failing in their previous bid to get into the 2012 Games the sport's powerbrokers mounted an aggressive and effective campaign, with International Rugby Board (IRB) president Bernard Lapasset making it the priority of his first term of office.

His intention was to make it a truly global sport, 'reaching out' as he termed it, and as IRB chief executive Mike Miller pointed out the Sevens format is ideal for television as it is 'fast and furious' and also has the habit of producing upsets.

Lapasset, formerly head of the French rugby federation, was elated that two years hard work had not gone to waste.

'We are very proud but we know that there is still work to be done ahead of the vote in Copenhagen,' he said.

'We have to remain vigilant but so far we have convinced the IOC with our arguments.'

Golf, which also appeared briefly at the Games in the early 1900s, had attracted a certain amount of scepticism even from golf lovers, in that it was too elitist and also several members hardly espouse the IOC value of sexual equality as they belong to male-only golf clubs.

Also as Australian golfer Geoff Ogilvy declared at one point 'we are not members of a team we are individuals and we decide where we play'.
2016 is also a Ryder Cup year.

Several potential Olympic contenders who may be on the cusp of qualifying for either the American or European teams could well prefer to play in another tournament so they can garner enough points to make their respective Ryder Cup teams.

However, Peter Dawson, Head of the Royal and Ancient, insisted the best players would be there.

'I think the opportunity to compete in the Olympics and win a gold medal with your country's name on your back is very different to playing for yourself,' said Dawson, who is also joint general secretary of the World Golf Federation.

'In the majors over four years you have 16 in total, you may only have one Olympics.'

Softball produced a very passionate campaign led by their Korean War veteran, president Don Porter, who had been stunned when they were voted out of the Games in Singapore in 2005.

However they barely ever got above two votes and he was left devastated.

'We have to keep going but this could prove financially crippling,' he said.

Porter had been given an eve of vote boost when in the extremely influential Olympic publication 'Sports Intern' they topped the poll of IOC members, experts and specialist journalists - golf was fifth.

However, in the end that meant little as Rogge once again showed he is without doubt the master of the IOC - having initially begun his regime looking a bit shaky - and his will prevailed. —AFP