Tokyo weighing new sports for 2020 summer Olympics

TOKYO — Softball anyone?

The application period officially opened Monday to add new sports to the summer Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Baseball and softball are considered favorites, because of their popularity in Japan. Other possibilities include squash, karate, surfing and cricket.

In all, 33 international sports federations have been invited to apply by a June 8 deadline. The Tokyo organizing committee said it would announce a shortlist on June 22. Finalists will make a presentation in Tokyo in August, and the organizing committee is to make its recommendation to the International Olympic Committee by Sept. 30.

The IOC isn’t expected to make a final decision until August 2016, when it meets ahead of the next summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.