ISF President: Softball Peaking

[fastball]

Subject: ISF President: Softball Peaking
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 09:15:56 +1100
Thread-Topic: ISF President: Softball Peaking
From: "DiAnne Lilburn" <dianne.lilburn(at)softball.org.au>
Envelope-To: fastball(at)pmihrm.com



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       
                                     March 23, 2006
 

ISF PRESIDENT: SOFTBALL PEAKING

Despite 2012 Olympic Vote, High-ranking Officials Supportive
Too

 

International Softball Federation (ISF) President Don Porter
said today (click here to see Q&A) that interest is very high
in the upcoming XI Women’s World Championship, despite what could
have been perceived as otherwise as a result of the lack of support
by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Members last month
to keep women’s softball on the programme of the 2012 Games in
London.

 

“The popularity of our sport is right up there with many of the
others that, like softball, have been successful on the world’s
stage,” the ISF President said.  “Of course, this was all detailed
in the IOC’s own Evaluation Report that they were quick to point
to when pressed on trying to provide a reason why Softball was
taken off the 2012 programme.

 

“For the Women’s World Championship alone, not only do we have
our 16 teams, but there’s even a waiting list of other countries
that had expressed interest in having their team compete if a
spot opened up.  We also are confident that television will be
involved in this event.  Softball is a great sport being played
competitively all around the world, even if the IOC failed to
acknowledge that with regards to the 2012 programme vote.”

 

Mr. Porter added that, “Certainly the spectator support is sure
to be great as well.  Softball is very big in China and the people
there turn out in great numbers for events like a world championship.”

 

The ISF XI Women’s World Championship, to be held in Beijing
from August 27 – September 5, is not only one of the qualifiers
for the 2008 Olympic Softball competition that will be held in
the same new stadium that will open this summer, but is an Olympic
Test Event as well.

 

“We’re going to do great in Beijing,” the ISF President said,
“both this summer and in 2008.”

  

Mr. Porter indicated that since last month’s IOC Session in Torino
when a vote on whether or not to reconsider softball’s 2012 Olympic
status went (47-43) against taking such action, he has still
received communications from various sporting officials, including
IOC Members, who have indicated that the sport deserved to be
in the Games in London.  Furthermore, the venue that would’ve
been built for the 2012 competition is still being considered
despite last July’s 52-52 vote being upheld by last month’s result.

 

 MEDIA: For more information, please contact ISF Director of
Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew(at)internationalsoftball.com,
(1.813) 864 0100, ext. 229, or (1.813) 453 8762 (cell). 

 


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