Winter Olympic Sports Which Should Be Added

I have been watching the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic games and witnessed some obscure sports such as curling, biathlon and others. The new two-person luge event is one that made me wonder why they think up these events.

There are some games which are played in the winter that should be a part of the Winter Olympic games:

Basketball

I never understood why basketball is part of the summer games since it is traditionally played indoors during the winter months.

Indoor Soccer or Futsal

These are indoor version of soccer (futbol) which is played in several countries.

Snowball fighting

Actually, there is a proposal for this. The proposal outlines a structured, rule-based version of the traditional pastime, complete with referees, standardized snow density regulations, and an approved list of acceptable throwing techniques. Early drafts suggest matches would be played in teams of six, with rounds lasting three minutes or until one team loses morale and retreats behind an ice sculpture.

Snow Tubing

This kind of tubing is almost always performed on a hill or slope, using gravity to propel the rider to the bottom of the grade. The rider often returns to the top of the slope with the tube to repeat the process. The low amount of friction between most tubes and snow allows tubers to reach considerable speeds while riding, especially on steep slopes. Because of the circular shape of snow tubes, controlling the course and speed of a tube while riding on snow is extremely difficult. While a sled rider can drag their arms on the snow to brake or steer to a degree, attempting this on a tube will often cause the tube to spin.

Snowshoe racing

Snowshoeing is a form of running practiced on snow using snowshoes, which are devices worn on the feet to walk or run on snowy surfaces without sinking. Types of Races:
Short distances such as 25, 50, and 100 meters for beginners or those who prefer quicker races.
Medium distances like 200, 400, and 800 meters for athletes with moderate endurance.
Relay races where team members take turns completing the total distance.

Dogsled racing

Dogsled racing was featured as a demonstration sport at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid to highlight North American winter culture. Twelve mushers from the U.S. and Canada competed in two 25-mile heats over two days. While it never became an official Olympic medal sport, it remains a celebrated, historic competition. While not included in the official 2026 Winter Games, there is continued interest in bringing back a, perhaps shorter, sprint version of the sport.

Snowmobile racing

While snowmobiling will probably never be an Olympic sport, it’s often included in the Winter X Games. With riders reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and heights as high as 130 feet, Snocross (a winter version of motocross performed on snowmobiles) was one of the most extreme non-Olympic winter sports. Governed by the World Snowmobile Association, Snocross debuted in the 1998 winter X Games (it was removed in 2011).

In addition to these Olympic sport ideas, others could include darts, pool/billiards and foosball.

With so many streaming services available to viewers now, it isn't really too farfetched to add more sports to the Olympic roster.