Representatives of seven sports are awaiting the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision on which two sports the IOC Executive Board selects Thursday in Berlin will make the shortlist to be voted on in October by the IOC in Copenhagen.
International Softball Federation President Don Porter, in Berlin for the vote said, “this is a monumental moment for softball – and an opportunity for the International Olympic Committee to back our sport which has done so much to promote the values of the Olympic movement.
“We believe we have a compelling case as we continue to promote sport in developing communities around the world, with a particular focus on women and young people; and continue to engender the principles of fair play, respect, and clean sport”.
Dr. Harvey Schiller, President of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), will be in Berlin Thursday to represent baseball. He said that the IBAF has been in constant contact with all members of the IOC Executive Committee, updating them on the continued good news about the sport from around the world, including the announcement that Eurosport 2 will televise the September World Cup, as well as Japan’s triumph in the Asian Championships, the announcement of professional baseball returning to Australia, and plans to start a professional league in Israel in the next few years.
He said, “at this point we are confident that we have effectively addressed all the issues presented to us as reasons why baseball was removed from the program. The sport is fully WADA compliant; we are working closely with all four 2016 potential host cities to make sure the facilities are in place well in advance of the Games and that the sport is thriving”.
Squash is promoting its sport and has announced that players from 21 nations representing all five continents are lining up for the qualifying competition for the Kuwait Men’s World Open Squash Championship 2009, the world’s richest squash tournament ever, to be staged in Kuwait for the first time November 1-7.
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) championship will have a prize fund of $277,500 – the largest ever offered by any World Open or PSA World Tour event – and will be the first official sporting World Open Championship to be hosted in Kuwait.
