28-sport cap dropped as part of 40-point action plan to revamp future summer Games

A 28-sport cap has reportedly been dropped as part of a 40-point action plan for future summer Olympics in order to revamp the sporting showpiece.

Potential hosts would also reportedly find it easier and cheaper to bid under the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted on the changes during a two-day meeting in Monaco.

The IOC has also agreed to allow future Games to hold events outside the host country or city, and potential hosts would also get extra financial support, The BBC reported.

Instead of a 28-sport limit, each summer Games would be restricted to 10,500 athletes and 310 events.

However, no changes have been be implemented for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro but both baseball and softball could now be included in the 2020 Games in Tokyo given that they are highly popular in Japan.

Although for that to happen existing Olympic sports would need to reduce the number of events they stage.

Canadian IOC member Dick Pound said that this is a major breakthrough, claiming that they were at a dead-end situation with 28 sports. He revealed that synchronised swimming and maybe triple jump could make way for new sports.

This drew a sharp response from Sebastian Coe, bidding to become the next president of the body that governs world athletics, the IAAF.

The Briton, who won the double Olympic gold in the 1500-metre, said that triple jump is a sacrosanct sport in track and field.

Meanwhile, Squash, which has failed on numerous occasions to win a place in the Olympics, could also benefit from the changes. However, World Squash Federation president Narayana Ramachandran urged caution, insisting that they cannot get ahead of themselves.

The new bidding process, meanwhile, is aimed at making the system cheaper and more flexible to attract future candidates, the report added.