Baseball/Softball Plan Joint Reinstatement Bid for ’20 Olympics

The international federations of baseball and softball are planning to discuss a possible joint proposal to get their sports back onto the Olympic programme for 2020.

A joint statement was issued by both parties revealing that they have been analysing potential savings that could come from sharing an Olympic venue and housing at the Olympic Village in 2020, factors which they believe would considerably boost their chances of winning back their places in the Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had previously dropped both sports for London at its Session in Singapore in 2005.

Having attempted to regain their status as an Olympic sport for the events next edition in Rio, 2016, they were overlooked for golf and rugby sevens.

Key officials from the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF) are planning to schedule meetings during this week’s SportAccord international convention, which features a meeting of the IOC’s ruling Executive Board.

Their statement read: “Should an agreement be reached to work together, the ISF and the IBAF believe that they would be able to demonstrate compelling reasons why, under such a proposal, their respective sports should be reinstated onto the Olympic programme.

“The IBAF and the ISF would work closely with the IOC to assure that any joint proposal would accomplish their goals in a manner that complies with the Olympic Charter.”

The move represents a major U-turn from softball after last August, the ISF turned down an approach from the IBAF to put in a joint bid to try to regain their places on the programme for 2020.

The ISF President, Don Porter wrote to his counterpart at the IBAF, Riccardo Fraccari, stating: “The ISF has always acted as an independent sport, and presently plans to continue that internationally accepted practice.”

Porter insisted that softball – which was played by women only at four Olympics from 1996-2008- could succeed alone, adding: “Softball, on its own, meets all criteria for inclusion as an Olympic medal sport.

“Softball has been an independently governed sport for many years and its independent and separate proposal was accepted in 1991 by the IOC when softball was added to the Olympic programme.”

Among the reasons that the ISF rejected the overtures last August from baseball was because they feared the baseball’s poor record on drugs would jeopardise their chances.