News Analysis: Softball world hoping for Fresh Olympic Chance

With the World Championship Softball finished on Sunday the focus of the softball world is now on bringing the sport back on the Olympic agenda, with positive thoughts being expressed to Xinhua in Haarlem on Sunday. Baseball and softball were taken out of the Olympics after the 2008 Games and in September last year the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided not to reinstate the sports to the 2020 Summer Olympics. Wrestling won the vote to return to the games before baseball/softball and squash. Also in September last year the 2020 were awarded to Tokyo, Japan and that prompted calls for baseball and softball to be included again. Baseball and softball are very popular in Japan and there are many existing facilities in the Tokyo area that could be used for the event. However, the Olympic Charter states that a sport's inclusion in the program must be decided not later than the session electing the host city (seven years in advance). Hope is still alive for the softball and baseball world as an Extraordinary Session of the IOC will be held in Monaco on December 6 and 7 this year to discuss potentially radical changes proposed by new President Thomas Bach. Will the inclusion of baseball and softball for the 2020 Olympics be on the agenda in Monaco is the question. "Nobody knows the agenda unfortunately, but we will continue to campaign" , Low Beng Choo, Secretary-General of the International Softball Federation (ISF) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), told Xinhua. "But we understand Bach is looking for some changes and that' s why we keep showcasing our sports." "We will continue to work, because we think softball and baseball add value to the Olympics," Low added. "We have combined two great sports with the best of both men and women. Both the men and women section are very strong. Our joint federation WBSC (formed in 2013) is good for us combining both sports and developing both sports." "In addition, it' s the only bat and ball game at the Olympics, which makes the sports unique on the games compared to other sports," the Secretary-General continued. "Also we are developing the sports in many areas. Not just for the Olympics, but also in the Muslim world, in Africa." The World Championship in Haarlem was won by Japan, with the United States and Australia capturing a silver and a bronze medal respectively. Low Beng Choo thinks the event, in which sixteen teams competed, was a good showcase for the IOC. "This was a premium event, with teams from three different continents in the top three," Low said. "That shows we have a worldwide sport, not only concentrated on one continent. We know people in Japan are crazy about baseball and softball, so our hopes are high." Tournament director Marloes Fellinger was satisfied with the tournament and hopes it will do good for the sport. "Too bad the weather was not that good, but despite that fact lots of people just stayed to wait for the next matches," she told Xinhua. "We had over 25,000 spectators. The whole tournament was great, we all did a good job." "I spoke to a lot of people this week and I often heard that the tournament was a fantastic showcase for Tokyo 2020," she added. "This was our moment for the sport so let' s hope we can get back at the 2020 Olympics." "I am hundred percent sure that baseball and softball will be back to the Olympics," Fellinger added. "I know Japan want the sports back. They are the hosts, so that will help. It was good to see here we are one big family." Fellinger knows about the Olympics from a personal experience. She was there on behalf of the Dutch team in Beijing in 2008. "It was the best experience I have ever had" , she concluded. "I hope the new generation gets that chance as well."