DECISION 2016: Baseball's IBAF make their case for Olympic reacceptance

EVERY day this week, we'll be hearing from the seven sports who are campaigning for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games, whose host city will be announced at the International Olympic Committee's Congress in Copenhagen this October.

FIELD OF DREAMS: Players from Korea celebrate their 3-2 win in the final of last year's Beijing Olympics as Cuba's Hector Olivera walks off the field

Next week, the IOC's Executive Board meet in Berlin to trim their shortlist of seven down to two.

Those sports will then require a simple majority of the IOC's 108-strong voting membership to gain prized Olympic status in Denmark later this year.

We start with baseball, dropped from the London 2012 programme, but campaigning for reacceptance.

Tomorrow, we'll hear the case for golf, followed by karate, roller sport, rugby sevens, softball and squash.

And you can have your say, vote in our poll or leave a comment.
 
WITH critical International Olympic Committee votes in August and October rapidly approaching, it is important to acknowledge all the things that have taken place within baseball in a very short space of time, not just to get the sport in a position to return to the Olympic programme, but to grow the game globally.


INTERNATIONAL APPEAL: Japan won the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, defeating South Korea in the final. Venezuala beat the United States in the third place play-off

All the changes baseball has made since being voted off the programme will strengthen the global appeal of the game for decades, regardless of whether or not the sport is chosen.

Those changes include:

·      Global growth at the grassroots level, with federations now in over 125 countries

·      An increased effort in growing the game across Europe and in developing nations, with the help of organisations ranging from Little League and Tee Ball to Major League Baseball and the Japanese professional leagues

·      Full WADA compliance, assuring that baseball will be a global leader in addressing anti-doping issues for all sports.

·      The expanded plans, including programmes for girls and women, will continue to make baseball a true ‘sport for all'.

·      Television and digital coverage of the sport in over 215 countries and territories, with billions of fans following the game year-round.

Baseball, with all of its member federations around the world working as one true team, has effectively addressed every issue presented by the IOC for reinstatement.

In the past year, fans of our sport have witnessed amazing play throughout two of our top events - the Olympic Games and World Baseball Classic - and in the coming months there is even more to look forward to, including the Asian Championships and IBAF Baseball World Cup in Europe.

With the World Cup specifically, IBAF is proud to bring its crown jewel event to a continent that is seeing faster rate of growth and interest within baseball than any other in the world.

From these large-scale events, to top professional leagues to the various Little Leagues across the globe, the game has never been stronger or grown faster on a global level, and the best is yet to come.

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What are your thoughts? Should baseball be allowed back in the Olympics?