By: Claire Kim
There is currently a petition for bingo to become an Olympic sport for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. No, not an April Fool’s petition, but a legitimate one.
Mecca Bingo, one of the largest bingo operators currently in the UK, is spearheading the effort to bring the game to the Games. Advocates argue that bingo is a viable option for several reasons. One, bingo is popular in a variety of regions around the world, which would create a large pool of viable competitors. Second, it is an extremely affordable sport, both cost-wise and playing-wise, and is is a game that is easy to pick up once the rules are learned.
However, some dissenters state that there is little to recommend bingo as an actual competitive sport. Unlike other Olympics hopefuls like tug-of-war and Ultimate Frisbee, bingo has no true athletic merit. And there is no official international federation for bingo, as is such with other Olympic sports like soccer and swimming.
Lesly Clifford, head of communications at Mecca Bingo, is still confident that the sport will become an addition to the array of sports at the Tokyo Olympics. “Successful bingo playing requires a steady hand, intense concentration and mental agility. I’m sure many bingo fans will all be crossing everything that this campaign is a full house success and that we hear cries of ‘eyes down’ when the Olympics lands in Tokyo in 2020.”
However, there are still more games that we can make it in an Olympic bingo, like bingo sweets and more.
Comments are closed.