As Italians flock to courses in merengue and cha cha cha, national sports authorities have decided to declare dancing an official sport with its own federation, local media reported.

Tangos, foxtrots and waltzes will have the same dignity as volleyball, basketball and athletics on Tuesday when the national Olympic Committee formally recognises the Italian Federation of Dancing Sports.

The Italian statistics bureau this month revealed that over a million people in the country now take part in organized dance courses, compared to half that in 2000.

According to observers, TV shows featuring celebrities who learn to dance are partly the cause of the recent popularity.

Last year the most popular of these programs, Italian RAI state televisions Dancing with the Stars, was won by Italy's former world champion long jumper Fiona May. She had no doubts that dancing was tough enough to be counted a sport.

"Dancers are physically very strong, They are in fact fully-fledged athletes and they deserve to have their own proper sports federation," she said.

Source: Xinhua