FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2007

NEXT TASK FORCE MEETING BEING PLANNED
Group to Assemble at ISF Headquarters in Plant City in April

The International Softball Federation’s (ISF) “Strategic Task Force” – assembled with the aim of getting women’s fast pitch softball reinstated to the programme of the Summer Olympics – will meet again next month. Following a January 24 meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, led by former International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Honorary Chairperson of the Task Force, the ISF has followed up on the group’s initial input and is now planning to host a session April 14th and 15th at its world headquarters facility in Plant City, Florida.

“We gained an initial direction at that first meeting in Lausanne,” said ISF President Don Porter, “but as part of our continued pursuits from then, we’ve established the need to reconvene the Task Force. The overall development and growth of our sport and, certainly, regaining our rightful place in the Olympic Games, is going to be largely shaped by this group, so we’re anticipating a productive two days in Plant City with those in attendance.”

The Strategic Task Force has representatives from the IOC, National Olympic Committees, and the ISF, along with athletes, individuals from the corporate sector, the government, members of the media, and others.

“We’re still working hard for Beijing since women’s softball will be on the programme there,” Mr. Porter said. “However, when those Games end next year, we need to already have been building toward the 2009 IOC vote for the 2016 Olympic programme, which means we need to be working now. That’s precisely why we have the Task Force in place and taking action.”

 

The ISF is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 128 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.

For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or (813) 864-0100, ext. 229.