INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

During brief remarks to the ASA Convention, ISF President Don Porter reaffirmed his belief that the International Olympic Committee, which meets in July 2005 to discuss the structure of the 2008 games in Beijing , will approve softball its fourth Olympiad.

Porter said he shares the disappointment of the US Olympic Committee that the USA baseball team has been eliminated from the 2004 games – but he does not see that defeat as affecting softball.

ISF, Porter announced, will hold its 2006 world women’s championship in Beijing , and anticipates a well-attended tournament, given the large crowds who attended the ISF Junior Women’s World Championship in October in Nanjing .

He reviewed briefly for the delegates the spread of softball into an increasing number of countries, bolstering his belief that softball has the kind of broad appeal which the IOC seeks from each Olympic game.  Porter also disclosed an agreement between the IOC and NBC to broadcast softball games in prime time ( USA ).

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