The International Softball Federation (ISF) has turned down an offer from the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) to work together to get onto the Summer Olympics programme for 2016.
ISF president Don Porter told IBAF president Harvey Schiller on Friday that softball would not combine bids with any other sport.
“Although I am surprised on the quickness of the response and am disappointed in the answer, I feel it does not deter us in our efforts to continue to move forward to get baseball back in the Olympics for 2016,” Schiller said. Schiller had received support for the plan from softball associations in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and countries in Europe and Africa.
Porter said, “The ISF proposal to the IOC is for an elite women's softball discipline with the option of an elite men's discipline if desired.
“We have offered the IOC a doping-free, universal team sport that reflects the values of Olympism all over the world.”
