Bob,
I'm unfamiliar with the World Games. The website says it is held in the year after the Summer Olympics. Is it related in some way to the Olympics? Does it mean that pool could make it in as an Olympic sport? Or, is it an alternative for sports that can't make it in and doesn't bear on future prospects for entry into the Olympics? Looks like the WCBS is the federation for World Games and they have the Olympic Games icon on their website, suggesting some connection.
Thanks.
The World Games is a multi-sport competition for those sports that have been recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) but are not in the Summer Games. Participation in the World Games is considered a stepping stone to being in the Olympics.
The IOC recognizes many international sports federations that are not in the Olympic Games. The requirement is that the sport be well organized internationally (with lots of details). The IOC recognizes the WCBS as the World Governing Body for cue sports. The WCBS in turn recognizes the international federations for pool, snooker and carom, and those in turn recognize the national sports federations.
It is very hard for any new sport to get into the Summer Games. The total number of athletes is now over 10,000 and the IOC has said that they don't want to see an increase. Sports are generally unwilling to give up their spots voluntarily, so I think there has to be something wrong with the nature of the competition for a federation to lose its spot.
Baseball was in and then out and now it's going to be back in for 2021. I think a huge problem for baseball is that only nine countries participated for more than one year during the five years it was held. It is not really an international sport or at least not as much as many other sports. Another issue with baseball is that each team is a lot of players and coaches. If the 2021 Games were not in Tokyo, I doubt that it would have been put back in.