International Softball Federation
President Don Porter and International Baseball Federation President Riccardo Fraccari have written a joint letter to Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, to confirm that the two sports are complying with IOC conditions for potential reinstatement to the Olympic programme. Here is the text of the letter:
Dear Mr President,
Further to our letter of July 20, we are pleased to report that our two International Federations have taken decisive and formal steps forward in our efforts to merge.
On 3 October, ISF and IBAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding which appointed a Joint Committee (IBAF president, ISF president, 3 IBAF delegates and 3 ISF delegates) to oversee the entire merger process and investigate, develop, create and present to their respective memberships for consideration and ratification a Constitution creating a new International Sports Federation to be recognized by the IOC.
On 30 October, another major milestone was reached when the ISF Special Congress approved the merger.
Presently, the IBAF is in the process of a postal vote on the said merger, but has already obtained an overwhelming consensus among its National Federations, so this approval is considered to be a matter of formality.
The devised Constitution of the new International Federation specifically provides that it will not finally and formally replace ISF and IBAF as the new Joint International Federation representing softball and baseball until this new IF has been approved and recognised pursuant to the IOC Charter by the IOC Session in September 2013.
We would like to point out that the Constitution specifically provides that those National Federations consisting solely of softball or baseball will not be required to merge. We have examined other sports with NFs that govern different disciplines, and therefore feel this is a workable solution that does not put any undue pressure on NFs already existing and operating separately.
Upon the Constitution’s formal approval by the Joint Committee, we will provide you with a copy of it in its entirety for your perusal.
The first General Congress of the new IF will be held at a date and place to be agreed by the Joint Committee but initial plans are being explored to hold this inaugural Congress in the spring of 2013.
As a result of the above, we are confirming our intention to present a single bid consisting of men’s baseball and women’s softball for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Programme, under the provisional authority of the Joint Committee of the new IF.
With regard to the presentation to the Olympic Programme Commission on December 19 in Lausanne, we respectfully ask that the schedule for these presentations be amended to reflect a joint presentation on our behalf.
We are very encouraged about these developments for the long-term well-being and prosperity of our sports, and we thank the IOC for granting us the opportunity to proceed in this direction.
We look forward to presenting to the Olympic Programme Commission and to the IOC Executive Board, so we may put forward the unique value proposal that softball and baseball offer together to the Olympic Movement.
We also remain at the IOC’s full disposal for any needed clarification on the aforementioned or for practical issues such as the combining process of our individual questionnaires that were submitted on July 20.
Yours sincerely,
Don Porter
President, ISF
Riccardo Fraccari
President IBAF