The Olympics website www.aroundtherings.com held an interview with IBAF president Dr. Harvey Schiller this week, which details baseball’s thoughts on the Olympics a few days before the decisive presentation in Lausanne, Switzerland in front of the IOC executive board.
An excerpt:
Why is the time right for baseball to return to the Olympics?
Harvey Schiller: Since we just had a great event in Beijing, we don’t think baseball has really left the Olympic Movement, and we continue to emulate all the Olympic ideals in everything we do, from global growth and grassroots work to one of the largest and most comprehensive drug testing programs in sport.
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The game of baseball is growing at the fastest rate ever for both men and women, and in many ways as we move forward together in the future, the benefits will accrue to both baseball and the Olympic Movement.
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Baseball’s global year-round presence makes it the only global sport not on the 2012 program, and with the bid cities for 2016 all baseball-ready, it is a natural fit. All four countries involved in the 2016 have elite programs in place, and have already enjoyed success in baseball.
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Why are the Olympics important for baseball?
HS: There is no sport that has shown that it is all-inclusive, affordable for all and a game that transcends boundaries more than baseball. Baseball and the Olympic Movement can move together into a bright future. Baseball’s emphasis on youth development, global growth and fair competition reflect the Olympic ideals. Remember baseball is the sport that broke the color barrier in team sports over 60 years ago! Baseball can be an addition to Paralympic competitions as it is played by the disabled, blind, and wheelchair-bound throughout the world.