SOFTBALL ACTS TO STAY IN ASIAN GAMES
Softball took the latest action required to maintain its presence in the Asian Games, a quadrennial multisport event that it has been a part of since 1990. ISF Secretary General Ms. Low Beng Choo, in her role as president of the Softball Confederation of Asia, made a presentation to the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Board on Monday morning in Kazakhstan. In talking about the next edition of the event (2014 in Korea), Ms. Low said that softball represented the hopes and aspirations of female players and including the sport would lead to gender equality.
It was reported that OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah was “very sympathetic to the presentation and recommended that softball be included in the 2014 Asian Games alongside baseball.” He also proposed that officials from softball and baseball should meet at OCA headquarters in Kuwait to produce a formal agreement in that the two sports would be treated as one in all future Games in Asia, while retaining their autonomy as governing bodies.
NEW DOMINICAN SOFTBALL ERA
ISF President Don Porter joined this past weekend with Pan American Softball Confederation President Jesús Suniaga and Dominican Republic Minister of Sports Felipe Payano in recognizing the installation of the new Board of the Dominican Republic Softball Federation including incoming President Victor Almanzar, and honoring outgoing President Luis Mejia on his retirement of 28 years, before a crowd of over 300.
Photo courtesy of Dominican Republic Softball Federation
![Suniaga DR](http://www.fastpitchwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Suniaga-DR-300x208.jpg)
TOURNAMENT IN THAILAND THIS WEEK
From tomorrow to Sunday a tournament will take place at Burapa University in Chonburi, Thailand. The event is the 4 th Bangsean Softball Championship and is supported by the Amateur Softball Association of Thailand. The fast pitch tournament will have two categories, overall men/women and university students (under 28 years old). There are three female teams in both categories and six men’s university teams and three men’s overall teams.
ESF CONGRESS ON TAP
The day after the above tournament starts, the European Softball Federation’s 36 th Congress will begin. Taking place this year in Antwerp, Belgium, the three days of meetings will be attended by ISF President Don Porter. In addition to the Congress sessions, meetings of committees such as the marketing, development, and technical & competitions will take place, plus an election will be held for ESF secretary general. Get more on the ESF at www.europeansoftball.org.
In other ISF news:
BYU head coach Gordon Eakin and associate head coach Vaughn Alvey were both selected to the USA Softball Women’s National Team coaching pool.
Eakin and Alvey are two of 24 coaches who may be selected as assistant coaches for the Women’s and Junior Women’s National team events this summer. BYU is the only school to have two coaches in the pool.
“We are thrilled to have a great cross section of coaches for the Women’s National team program for the next two years,” said ASA and USA Softball Executive Director Ron Radigonda. “With the ISF change of World Championships every two years, we are excited to assist coaches in gaining international experience and opportunities.”
The placement is a stamp of approval for Eakin, who was the USA National Team hitting coach last summer. In 2010, Eakin helped the USA win tournaments around the world, including the World Championship in Venezuela and the World Cup in Oklahoma.
Leave a Reply