Editor’s note: A different point of view here than in another article on the subject.

(click logo for original news story)

Softball team getting ready to go to bat
LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

LAUSANNE, Jun. 16: ‘Team Softball’ was confident it had done its best in the presentation to the IOC executive in pursuit of a return to the Olympic Games programme in 2016.

ISF president Don Porter said: “The presentation went very well and we’re quietly confident. The culture and aspirations of the International Softball Federation and those of the IOC are indivisible. We share a common culture … and the same DNA.

“Softball shares all of the IOC’s principles. They are part of our DNA, not just adopted for special occasions such as today.”

Accompanying the president were BackSoftball co-chair and member of the IOC Women in Sport Commission Donna de Varona; Malaysia’s Low Beng Choo, ISF deputy secretary-general; South Africa’s Lynn Alexander, international athlete and coach; Danielle Stewart, Australian Olympic bronze medalist at Beijing 2008; and Gergana Hanjiyska, Bulgarian softball federation secretary general, coach and player.

Softball had been in the Olympics from 1996 to 2008 but was voted off the Games roster in 2005 at the IOC Session in Singapore. The sport has grown considerably since then and created notable opportunities for women on the African continent and the Middle East.

Handjiyska, athlete ambassador from Bulgaria, said: “I guess you could say that I am typical of the new breed of national softball administrators in the 21st century. We bring modern-day skills, attitudes, and influences to our work and the promotion of our sport.”

The presentation included updates on the opening of three regional training centres, peak Japanese viewing figures of the gold medal game in Beijing 2008, the inclusion of a world class men’s fast pitch Olympic competition and a full wheelchair competition for the Paralympic Games in 2016.

The team reminded the board of the clean doping record of no positive tests at the Olympics since the sport’s debut 12 years earlier at the Atlanta Games.

Decisions on the two sports to be put forward for consideration on the vote will be decided in Berlin August 13-14 during the next IOC executive board.

Keywords: ISF, Don Porter, Donna de Varona, Low Beng Choo, Lynn Alexander, Danielle Stewart, Handjiyska,

For more information contact:

Laura Walden (lwalden@sportsfeatures.com)
Keir Radnedge (kradnedge@sportsfeatures.com)

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