Softball upbeat on return in 2016 Olympics

MANILA, Philippines – Efforts to bring back softball to the Olympics calendar of events was believed to have been boosted with the recent pledge of the International Softball Federation to strengthen the development of the sport worldwide, especially in Asia.

The gold medal victory of Japan in softball in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, according to Amateur Softball Association-Philippines president Jean Henri Lhuillier, further enhanced the chances of the sport being played again in the Games of 2016.

“Softball has enjoyed significant success in Asia with that gold medal performance of the Japanese against the Americans in the finals,” Lhuillier said during last week’s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session. “That resulted in record figures for Japanese broadcaster NHK.”

“Meaning the popularity of softball in the part of the world that commands some two billion people cannot be discounted,” he said.

Lhuillier, who is also involved in the country tennis development, bared that a new regional training center will soon be established at the Beijing Olympic softball venue with aim at providing opportunities for young men and women to learn and develop their playing abilities.

“Softball is a sport that is simple to learn that’s why it is proving to be popular among the youth, especially from less developed area in the regions,” he said, citing efforts of the ISF to reach out to the less privileged members of society.

He also said that softball’s exemplary anti-doping record in top-level competition is further reason why it is becoming so popular in the whole world.

An ISF congress to be held in connection with the XII World Men’s Championship July 17-26 in Saskatoon, Canada, will further discuss some of the international federation’s development program.

Lhuillier said the Philippine Blu Boys are competing in the world championship along with Japan in the world championship, representing Asia even as he thanked Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping who made the team’s trip possible.