Leaders of the campaign to return softball to the Olympics in 2016, say their best argument comes from the stadium for the sport in west Beijing.
Back Softball leaders are encouraging IOC members to visit Fengtai Softball Field, where competition continues through the gold-medal game Aug. 21.
Don Porter, president of the International Softball Federation since 1987, says he's had a chance to talk to at least 40 IOC members so far in Beijing. "We also have had a number of them out to the venue to see the games," he says. "Some have not seen much of our game in the past."
Softball hopes IOC members will acknowledge that it is a fast-paced sport and relevant to today's youth. Porter says softball has made changes to become more attractive to spectators and television viewers, mostly by speeding up the game. The goal is to finish games in under two hours; the Athens gold medal match lasted one hour and 47 minutes.
But despite the rapid play and hearty crowds at the start of the Games, the stands have emptied as the game goes on.
"Attendance has been very good," Porter says. "A lot of the spectators don't like sitting out in the hot sun and humidity for too long. Some of them disappear."
Keeping the Game Moving
Changes to quicken the game include a 20-second clock on the pitcher, a tiebreaker rule and an intentional walk with no pitches. Porter says the sport will implement further changes in timing, but he isn't ready to discuss them publicly.
He also will also announce a major upcoming softball event once the gold medal game is played. The sport needs a big tournament to fill the gap when the Olympic Games drop off its calendar.
Donna de Varona, co-chair of the Back Softball Task Force, says softball fulfills two priorities that IOC President Jacques Rogge cited at the IOC Session in Torino : clean sport and sport for women.
"As far as criteria is concerned we have a perfect sport for that," she says.
De Varona has plenty of contacts to promote softball because she's been around the Olympic movement for so long. She swam in her first Olympic Games in 1960 at age 13 and won two gold medals in 1964.
"I know three-fourths of [IOC members] and I can approach them with what they're doing," she says.
"Looking at it from their point of view, they're bombarded with bid cities. We're in competition with a lot of other interests, so we're just doing the best we can."
A Crowded Field
The IOC will consider softball's bid for reinstatement at its session in Copenhagen in October 2009. Baseball, which was also struck from the program for 2012, golf, karate roller sports, rugby and squash are also lobbying to get into the Games.
Since it was voted off the program in Singapore in 2005, softball has also put together a blueprint for showing its progress. The sport has increased the number of nations playing softball by four - from 126 to 130 -- since 2005, increased the number of worldwide participants playing softball, increased the number of youth accessing sport through softball, placed even greater emphasis on opportunities for women, provided greater access for people with disabilities, provided softball equipment and coaching where there is most need and increased the amount of television exposure.
"We're doing the things that we feel the IOC wants us to do in regards to our sport," Porter says.
Too Many Golds for the U.S.?
One of the criticisms of the sport has been the dominance of the United States team, which has won every gold medal since softball made its Olympic debut in 1996. The U.S. was undefeated in Athens four years ago.
De Varona tells Around the Rings that she doesn't think another U.S. gold medal will hurt the campaign.
"I think people forget what happened in Sydney, when the U.S. was down a whole round and had to come all the way back," she says. "Yes, it is better for softball as it becomes more competitive. You can't ignore the fact. But if you look at other sports, you see the top two countries in some sports dominating over and over again."
The U.S. crushed Venezuela, making its Olympic softball debut, 11-0 earlier this week.
"I won't lie, Team USA they are a very dominant team," says Venezuelan left fielder Rubilena Rojas . "We go to the U.S., we get our education in the U.S. so we can advance our level of play so we can be competitive. We have been progressing; it's been little by little."
Written by ATR Staff in Beijing For general comments or questions, click here
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