棒球欲重返2016奧運項目

本月15日，國際棒總IBAF協同美國大聯盟MLB，前往國際奧會總部洛桑對IOC官員發表約20分鐘簡報。說明棒球重返2016年奧運的計畫。其中包含棒球、高爾夫、空手道、滑輪運動、橄欖球、壘球和壁球。 總共有七個運動將搶奪唯二的位子。在下次八月EB會議中會提出出線名單，然後十月份哥本哈根年會中確認。

IBAF國際棒總主席，在出發赴瑞士簡報前，致棒球夥伴們的信件內容如下：

Dear Friend of Baseball,
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Monday we will present our case for re-instatement to the Olympic programme to the IOC Executive Board. Joining me in the 20 minute presentation will be John Ostermeyer, Jean-Pierre Moser, Bob DuPuy, the President and COO of Major League Baseball, Don Fehr, the Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association and Sidney de Jong, member of the Dutch National team. Sandra Monteiro, President of the Portuguese Federation and Riccardo Fraccari, the President of the Italian Federation, will also be in Lausanne to assist us in talking to various IOC members and federations during the early part of next week as well.
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Our presentation will effectively address all of the reasons as to why baseball was removed from the 2012 programme, and will offer a five day tournament plan for both men and women that will include using the best players from professional baseball. We have spent time working with all four candidate cities to make sure they understand the value baseball can bring to their bid for 2016, and continue to speak to as many IOC members as possible in outlining our plan and the steps we have made to grow the game globally, from the youngest of children to elite competition. We feel that we have done everything that the IOC has asked us to do to this point, and will continue to re-address and add to those steps over the next few months.
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As always, your support and input is needed and very much appreciated. We have received notes of assistance with IOC members from Italy, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, China, Korea, Sweden, Latvia, Fiji, Hungary and across Africa recently, and are hoping that type of support and outreach can occur with every IOC member from their federation over the next two months. The announcement of which sports will be put forward for the vote will occur in August at the World Track and Field Championships, and the final vote will then take place in October in Copenhagen.
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Also, as a reminder, information on events in your country that can be passed along to the media are also critical to get to our staff, so that we can help you tell all the good news stories about baseball to the largest possible audience.
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As always we want to thank you for all your efforts to help us grow baseball on a global scale. We think we have made great progress and have told a great story, and will update you late next week after the presentation.
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Regards,
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Dr. Harvey W. Schiller
President
International Baseball Federation


IBAF對IOC 20分鐘簡報重點為：

• 棒球將規劃五天賽程，八隊比賽賽制。開放入選資格的國家隊最菁英的球員入列。2016奧運的資格賽將在2015球季末舉辦。

• 在2016年奧運棒賽比賽期間，大聯盟北美地帶將不會轉播任何大聯盟比賽，讓奧運棒球比賽成為媒體聚焦焦點。金牌戰日大聯盟將休兵一日。

• 四個2016奧運候選城市已經有棒球場和計畫。

• MLB 將與IOC合作為行銷夥伴，預計拓展世人的目光，不僅限於棒球項目而是整個奧運計畫。

• 棒球將繼續在藥檢居於領導地位。並且拓展到所有比賽中。

• 棒球將亙續全球化的腳步，深植於男女小選手間，特別在新崛起的國家和跨越歐洲大陸。

• 培養全球優秀年輕選手，讓他們站上2016年奧運賽場。包括荷蘭小選手de Jong 和美國選手 Bryce Harper, 代表其國家出賽。