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Baseball-softball

leaders outline key

attributes as

Olympic sport decision August 26 - As decision day for which
sport will be included on the Olympic
sports programme from 2020 looms just
day draws near under two weeks away, the leaders of the
World Baseball Softball Confederation
(WBSC) have identified the key
ingredients that they feel the bat-and-
ball sports would bring to the Games.
By James Crook – Insidethegames

The WBSC’s Play Ball 2020 campaign sponsor appeal can be presented the massive base of 65 million players
marks the third time in the past in new ways that are in alignment and over 150 million fans in 140
eight years that the sports have with the priorities with the Olympic territories which they believe would
attempted to regain their position Movement,” said Fraccari and Porter. ensure capacity crowds for matches,
on the Olympic programme after as well as huge appeal for advertisers
being controversially ousted in 2005, “We have listened and learned and television audiences.
and co-Presidents Don Porter and from the IOC (International Olympic
Riccardo Fraccari believe that this Committee) about the importance There is also emphasis on the rapid
experience has proven invaluable, of athlete experience, as well as fans global development of the sport, the
and with the two sports now experience, and the need to provide chance to establish women’s softball
working in unison to achieve the an electrifying sporting atmosphere and men’s baseball as equal partners
same goal, they feel their bid is the in the venues that engages young in an Olympic sport for the first time,
strongest yet. people, the host nation and city, as and the impressive attendances and
well as broadcast and new media participation in youth events, such
“This campaign is the culmination audiences worldwide. as the Little League World Series
of eight years of hard work to which saw 90,000 youngsters from
better understand how baseball “We reviewed our sports and 90 nations compete with around
and softball’s massive worldwide improved key aspects of how 400,000 fans packing the stands for
support base amongst young people baseball and softball can be the final stages.
and players, and broadcast and presented as sports at the 2020
Olympic Games.” “We are growing our sport together
for our athletes, toward 2020 and
A case study report conducted by for the Olympic Movement,” the co-
Porter and Fraccari, ’Why Baseball and Presidents conclude.
Softball will Strengthen the Olympic
Movement’, identifies the fast-and- “We believe that the Olympic Games
furious six-day Olympic tournament is the pinnacle for every athlete and
format and its ability to reduce the every sport, and if included, we will
burden of costs and logistical issues as make our resources available to the
a major positive for the bid, as well as Olympic Family.”

Baseball and Softball were last Sources:
competed at the Beijing 2008 http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/2020-bidding-sports/350-
Olympics, where South Korea took baseball/1015726-baseball-softball-leaders-outline-key-attributes-
gold in baseball and Japan took the as-olympic-sport-decision-day-draws-near
softball title
RUN Issue 76 First Quarter 2013/14 07

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