Baseball and softball are returning to the Olympics in 2020, while skateboarding, surfing, karate and sport climbing are joining the games for the first time.

The IOC approved the addition of the sports Wednesday for the Tokyo Games, calling it an "innovative" mix of traditional and youth-oriented events that will attract Japanese and global fans.

The five, including a combined baseball-softball bid, were put forward for inclusion last year by Tokyo organizers. Under new IOC rules, host cities can propose additional sports for their own games. IOC members voted unanimously to accept the five sports as a package. The approval was for the Tokyo Games only. The new sports will add 18 events and 474 athletes to the program.

The Tokyo Games will now feature 33 sports and about 11,000 athletes, compared to the usual number of 28 sports and 10,500 athletes. While men's baseball and women's softball - both highly popular in Japan - will be returning after a 12-year absence, the other sports will be making their Olympic debuts.