ISF President Don Porter (left) and IBAF President Riccardo Fraccari
The possibility of of a joint bid by baseball and softball for Olympic reinstatement has taken anotherstep forward after a recent private meeting between International Baseball Federation President Riccardo Fraccari and International Softball Federation President Don Porter at the 50th General Assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) in Mexico City.
At their meeting, Presidents Fraccari and Porter looked in detail at various points in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) developed by the two International Federations as the basis for a joint bid for the 2020 Games.
Now, both leaders will consult their respective Olympic Reinstatement Committees to ensure that the wording of the MOU has the approval of both parties.
Next meeting
Riccardo Fraccari and Don Porter will meet again on
March 17 at the Dutch Federation's 100th Anniversary Gala in Rotterdam, and will hope to finalise an agreement on the MOU.
After an agreement is sealed, the MOU will be presented to the International Olympic Commitee (IOC) for approval. This could eventually reduce the total number of sports on the shortlist for inclusion or reinstatement in the 2020 Olympics from eight to seven. A decision will be made at an IOC Congress next year.
During a General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held last year, an agreement between the two International Federations led to the inclusion of softball on the programme of the 2014 Asian Games as a discipline of baseball.
IBAF and the ISF will also have a shared booth at the upcoming SportAccord Convention in Quebec City, Canada.