Topic: Getting Table Soccer into The Olympics

[Buckshot]

Here's the question; How do we get foosball, the sport of Table Soccer, into the Olympics? For decades now I've been of the opinion that we need to standardize the table and/or ball in order to get the IOC to accept us as a legitimate sport. I have changed my mind on that and I now think we need to educate the Olympic authorities on the culture of the game, the variations in the table and ball. Rather than one standard table to represent the sport, or several different kinds of tables at one event, why not allow different countries to designate one table as that country's table and have the athletes qualify on that table in order to represent their country. When the qualifiers compete at the Host City, they will play on that countries designated table. If the host city is in France, you would compete on Bonzini. America, Tornado or Warrior. China, Fireball. Italy, Garlando, etc. The athletes will have to adapt to the different tables but so what? Any recognized table should be acceptable to world class players who want to represent their country.

Maybe this is the way to go. I don't know how to petition the IOC but I'll bet there are some people around here who do know. We need to get this done, I'm tired of this rejection when they allow upside down swimming and ballroom dancing in the games. Ours is an AWESOME game and we need to show the world!

[bolt115]

I am not an authority on this...but i think you should do a google search :  "foosball world cup"

[jerrydiday]

It looks like it is possible for the local organizers of an Olympics to add events like table soccer to the venue.  The starting point is a world wide federation for the sport.  And there are many considerations, like gender equality, that need to be addressed.  Here is one link I found that gives some information.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2016/08/09/how-a-sport-becomes-an-olympic-event/#107844c52ce9

From this it looks like, if we actually addressed the local organizers of an Olympics, that we might be able to get Foosball added just for that Olympics.  Or maybe we can try to get a Foosball City as an Olympic host.