POSTED: September 1st 2008
InDepth
Softball makes point in Beijing
Special Correspondent / Sports Features Communications
BEIJING: The BackSoftball campaign for reinstatement of the sport on the 2016 Olympic Programme was in full swing in Beijing during the 2008 Games.
Apart from innumerable meetings with decision makers and constant press contacts, the athletes and International Softball Federation leaders rallied to unite for the common cause to support Olympic softball.
At the start of the Games ISF President Don Porter and Donna de Varona, double gold medal Olympic swimmer and co-chair of the ISF BackSoftball Task Force, visited the Sun Village charity project in rural Beijing to hand out softballs, bats, gloves, and other equipment to orphaned children.
They also invited seven-year-old Li Yufeng to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at the Olympic venue prior to the August 14 game between Australia and the host China while being watched by some of the other Sun Village children, who were given game tickets by the ISF.
Porter said: “It was wonderful to visit Sun Village and very touching to see the enthusiasm in the young children. They have had a tough start in life and hopefully our donation will help them enjoy our great sport in their spare time.
“Inspiring these children is just the sort of thing softball can achieve, as has been the case with so many other youths world wide."
De Varona was also was moved by the visit, saying: “It is universal, kids love to play. Today throwing, catching, and hitting the softball gave some 80 orphans a few hours of laughter, connection and fun."
The ISF also helped the Make-A-Wish foundation see a dream come true for Rachel Hanna, 16, of Grand Prairie, Texas. She had wished to attend Beijing to watch the US softball team in person.
Rachel is one of 11 youths with life-threatening medical conditions who had their wishes granted to attend the Beijing Games by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She has a deep love for softball and is a talented player who pitched as a freshman on the varsity team at Mansfield Timberview High School, before she was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2007.
She was unable to play this past spring while being treated for her illness but left Beijing inspired by the chance to reach out and touch the players.
“Amazing," said the 16-year-old Texan after meeting US pitcher Monica Abbott, her favorite player. “What a day." Mother Kim Hanna said: “It's just beautiful. This has been the best day you could imagine."
Following the final game where Team Japan conquered the coveted gold medal, players from all three medal teams - Japan, US and Australia - joined spontaneously after the medal ceremony to create a 2016 design on the Olympic field using softballs.
Jessica Mendoza of Team USA took the initiative and asked a Japanese translator to pass on the message to that team to help “write something creative with the balls."
They got busy to layout the 2016 and then all gathered together wearing their medals to take photos and show their support for reinstatement onto the programme, which will be voted on by the IOC in October next year.
Softball players also appeared at the Closing Ceremony with “Softball 2016” written like a tattoo on their arms as they waved for the international cameras to show their support.
The eight teams which competed in Beijing were Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Holland, US and Venezuela.
Venezuela were making their first-ever Olympic softball appearance and showed that the level of competition around the world is increasing, not only by defeating Holland and eventual playoff participant Canada but playing eventual gold medallist Japan close, having started their game against them with a 2-0 lead.
Team Venezuela outfielder Rubilena Rojas said: “A lot of us go to the US to get our education so we can advance our level of play. To advance little by little, over the last five years, has been our strategy so we can compete with the best. We are progressing.
"It's a clean sport that's offered a lot of opportunities from our experience. We have 15 girls who, through softball, have been given the tools to be better women and to give back to society. That is what softball has given us."
Team Canada reached their first-ever Olympic softball playoff appearance, and finished in fourth place, dropping a 5-3 decision to the Aussies. Canadian right fielder Alison Bradley said: “The fact that there is a new Olympic gold medallist is huge for softball.
"We have new nations that are making their presence known on the world stage, and I think that's really big for softball."
At the end of the dramatic climax of the highly successful Beijing competition, ISF president Porter called a press conference to announce the launch of the 2009 Youth World Cup to further promote and advance the development of softball around the world.
The Youth World Cup will be a girls' 16-and-under fast pitch competition and will be held in the second week of August next year, with a number of major European capital cities under consideration.
Keywords · Softball · Beijing · International Softball Federation · Don Porter · Donna de Varona · Li Yufeng
For more information contact:
Laura Walden ()
All original materials contained in this section are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Sports Features Communications, Inc the owner of that content. It is prohibited to alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
