Major League Baseball Players Association Exec Dir Tony Clark said that "it will be difficult for big leaguers to participate at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics," according to the AP. Baseball "returns to the Olympics after a 12-year absence for the Tokyo Games," which are scheduled for July 24-Aug. 9 -- "in the middle of baseball's season." Clark said, "There are challenges with the schedule, and there are challenges with major leaguers being involved." In '08, players on major league 25-man rosters and disabled lists on June 26 were ineligible to play. Clark added, "It doesn't mean that we are not continuing to have dialogue. We have going back. We will going forward. Where we land, I don't know" (AP, 2/24).
HIGH-TECH TORCH: KYODO reported the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee "is considering using a hydrogen fuel relay torch to light the Olympic flame, according to committee officials." The organizers, who "hope" to use the Games as an "opportunity to showcase Japanese technology," said that the government "expressed support for the idea." One official said that "there are still safety and cost concerns, and asserted that there also was a need for a lightweight torch that can be easily carried." Meanwhile, sources said that organizers have "decided to reduce the number" of additional football venues under consideration to one from three (KYODO, 2/26).
MIXED SHOOTING EVENTS: The Int'l Shooting Sport Federation "plans to introduce mixed events in air pistol, air rifle and trap for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to help achieve the IOC's goal" of 50% female participation in the Olympics. The ISSF said that "it would recommend scrapping" the men's 50m free pistol, 50m rifle prone and the double trap events "in favour of introducing three mixed events, one in each discipline" (REUTERS, 2/23).