IOC Vote out Softball

[fastball]

>From Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060209/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_ioc_meeting;_ylt=AifSUuJnl83hiWhyEj_YIXes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3cm82N



TURIN, Italy - They're out! Baseball and softball won't be played
at the 2012 London Olympics. And this time, the call stands.


Baseball and women's softball remain on the program for the 2008
Beijing Games, and will be eligible to reapply for readmission
to the 2016 games.

London, however, is no longer possible.
"We will work with them at theTop of Form 1
 Bottom of Form 1
Olympic Games at Beijing and see if there's a chance to come
back in the program" after London, IOC president Jacques Rogge
said. "I understand the disappointment of those who pleaded for
the reinstatement."

Croatian softball player Jelena Cusak said the decision will
cut off crucial funding for youth softball programs around the
world.

"These kids won't have the Olympic dream any more," she said.
"They won't understand this decision. We can't explain it to
them. They don't know the politics."

Down to their final chances at the IOC's annual meeting Thursday,
neither sport even made it to a vote. Support of at least 51
percent of members was required before reinstatement could go
to a secret ballot.

After that, each sport would have needed majority backing in
a second vote.
They never got that far: It was 46-42 against baseball and 47-43
against softball in the preliminary round.
U.S. IOC member Anita DeFrantz, who had led efforts for softball's
reinstatement, said the sport may have suffered from its perceived
association with baseball.

"Baseball and softball are continually presented as a package,"
she said. "Baseball is my nation's national past time, but softball
has no option. For the athletes in softball, if it's not the
Olympic Games there is little to look forward to."

The sports were narrowly voted out at the IOC assembly in Singapore
in July, becoming the first to be removed from the Olympics since
polo in 1936. Softball fell one vote short of making the cut
- 52-52, with one abstention. Baseball was eliminated by a 54-50
vote..

Because no other sports won admission in Singapore, London 2012
is left with 26 sports on the program, two short of the maximum.
Baseball and softball can try to get back on the 2016 program
at the IOC's session in 2009 in Copenhagen.

Thursday's decision was seen as a political victory for Rogge,
who feared that overturning July's vote would damage the IOC's
credibility and set a bad precedent.

It was also a setback for U.S. interests in the IOC, which is
increasingly dominated by Europeans.
"It's a very difficult decision, not just for our hemisphere
but for Asian cultures as well," U.S. member Robert Ctvrtlik
said. "There was a solid faction that didn't want the IOC appearing
that they would flip on issues."

During a debate before the vote, more than a dozen members -
but only one European - spoke in favor of bringing the two sports
back. Notably, the one who spoke out against was a prominent
European - Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands.

"I think anti-Americanism was a factor," International Softball
Federation president Don Porter told The Associated Press. "I
think that vote was political. It wasn't about a sport. It had
do with a political situation to protect the president.. It hurts
our sport and it hurts our athletes." 

International Baseball Federation president Aldo Notari, an Italian,
took a philosophical approach. 
"Of course, we will try again in 2009," he said. "Life continues.
Baseball is out now, but continues to be a very strong sport
around the world." 

London organizers had planned to build baseball and softball
venues in Regent's Park at a cost of around $40 million. London
2012 deputy chairman Keith Mills said Thursday that organizers
may still go ahead with softball facilities to leave a "legacy"
for the sport. 

IOC members from Cuba, Australia, Guatemala, Brazil, Spain, Canada,
South Africa and Taiwan were among those speaking in favor of
readmitting both sports. Several delegates said the Singapore
vote should be overturned because no replacement sports were
brought in. 

While some members were opposed to reviewing a decision taken
just seven months ago, Australian member Kevan Gosper said the
IOC should have the courage to do so. 

"We should be big enough to review a decision if there is good
cause," he said. "I think there is good cause and there should
be no embarrassment that we are looking at it so soon." 

American delegate Jim Easton took part in the vote. In Singapore,
he recused himself because of his business interests as a manufacturer
of sports equipment. 

Citing "very significant changes in my business situation," Easton
said he had received clearance from the IOC ethics commission
and executive board to vote.



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