ISF Announces Landmark Plans for all National Softball Federations to Attain Total Independence
ISF President – ‘This is a vital step in the BackSoftball campaign’
Lausanne, Switzerland; 30th October 2008: The International Softball Federation (ISF) has today launched sweeping plans to ensure complete independence for all 131 national softball federations around the world.
This is seen as a crucial action in softball’s campaign to be reinstated onto the Olympic Programme in 2016 after such a hugely successful Beijing Olympic Games this summer.
Legislation enacted at the ISF Congress decreed that ISF members (national federations) may not be constitutionally linked to a national federation of any other sport. The ISF has now set a timeline for complete separation with a programme offering assistance to help national softball federations achieve compliance within two years.
Currently, 35 of the 131 national federations around the world are aligned to other sports. This move is set to confirm the growing reputation of softball as a stand-alone sport of great stature across the globe. The move will also help eradicate any confusion in the Olympic Movement; it will clarify once and for all that softball is a fully independent international sport federation with independent national federations.
While here for the Beijing Olympic Games Debriefing for international federations, ISF President Don Porter said, “This is a vital step in the BackSoftball campaign. It is of fundamental importance that softball federations have complete autonomy in their territories in order to best ensure the sport continues to grow and maximize its potential. We’re confident that all our national federations are strong enough to stand on their own, and we will, of course, help ease them through the transition period.
“This move will also prevent some of the confusion that exists surrounding softball’s links with other sports. We will also provide comprehensive support to ensure this process runs smoothly.”
The ISF believes these plans are vital to the future development and growth of softball for adult women and men, youth development, and other disciplines of the sport, including Wheelchair, Beach, and Arena (indoor) Softball.
Softball was first featured in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and this year’s competition in Beijing, which was won by Japan, was hugely successful with a total attendance close to 180,000 and a continuation of the sport’s excellent record of no positive drug tests in major competitions.
Further information is available in the OTHER DOCUMENTS section of www.BackSoftball.com.
For more information please contact:
ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com, +1 813 864 0100 or +1 813 453 8762
Lausanne, Switzerland; 30th October 2008: The International Softball Federation (ISF) has today launched sweeping plans to ensure complete independence for all 131 national softball federations around the world.
This is seen as a crucial action in softball’s campaign to be reinstated onto the Olympic Programme in 2016 after such a hugely successful Beijing Olympic Games this summer.
Legislation enacted at the ISF Congress decreed that ISF members (national federations) may not be constitutionally linked to a national federation of any other sport. The ISF has now set a timeline for complete separation with a programme offering assistance to help national softball federations achieve compliance within two years.
Currently, 35 of the 131 national federations around the world are aligned to other sports. This move is set to confirm the growing reputation of softball as a stand-alone sport of great stature across the globe. The move will also help eradicate any confusion in the Olympic Movement; it will clarify once and for all that softball is a fully independent international sport federation with independent national federations.
While here for the Beijing Olympic Games Debriefing for international federations, ISF President Don Porter said, “This is a vital step in the BackSoftball campaign. It is of fundamental importance that softball federations have complete autonomy in their territories in order to best ensure the sport continues to grow and maximize its potential. We’re confident that all our national federations are strong enough to stand on their own, and we will, of course, help ease them through the transition period.
“This move will also prevent some of the confusion that exists surrounding softball’s links with other sports. We will also provide comprehensive support to ensure this process runs smoothly.”
The ISF believes these plans are vital to the future development and growth of softball for adult women and men, youth development, and other disciplines of the sport, including Wheelchair, Beach, and Arena (indoor) Softball.
Softball was first featured in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and this year’s competition in Beijing, which was won by Japan, was hugely successful with a total attendance close to 180,000 and a continuation of the sport’s excellent record of no positive drug tests in major competitions.
Further information is available in the OTHER DOCUMENTS section of www.BackSoftball.com.
For more information please contact:
ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com, +1 813 864 0100 or +1 813 453 8762