AggieJohn
07-08-2005, 12:05 PM
By STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer
July 8, 2005
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program for the 2012 Summer Games in London.
Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained.
The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports. That decision will be made Saturday.
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Baseball and softball are the first sports cut from the Olympics since water polo in 1936.
Baseball has been vulnerable because it doesn't bring top Major League players to the Olympics. Softball has been in danger because of a perceived lack of global appeal and participation.
``Needless to say, these sports are very, very disappointed,'' IOC president Jacques Rogge said after announcing the result. ``However, I have to emphasize the fact that they should not fear this purge. The fact is that they shall not be included in the program of the 2012 Olympic Games, but it does not disqualify them forever as Olympic sports.''
Rogge said baseball and softball will be eligible to win back their place in future games.
``I would like to invite the leaders of these sports that will not be included in the program to make their very best efforts during the coming years so as to be able to convince the session that they deserve to come back to the Olympic Games in 2016. We shall support them in their efforts,'' he said.
The IOC will keep the voting figures secret. Not even the IOC members or sports federations will learn the totals. The secrecy was requested by the international federations in order to avoid any ranking or embarrassment for any sports which just barely make the cut.
Rogge said the figures will be seen only by an independent official, who will send the results by sealed envelope to an IOC notary in Lausanne, Switzerland. Rogge will only open the envelope in the case of a voting dispute.
``Not all sports are indispensable for the Olympic program, we know that,'' Rogge told the delegates before the vote.
Rogge urged the 100-plus members to vote strictly on the technical merits of the sports and not for subjective, political or personal reasons.
``If you consider a modification, you should be convinced it will bring an improvement,'' Rogge said.
Senior IOC member Dick Pound of Canada harshly criticized the secrecy, saying it undermined the IOC's moves for openness. He said it was in the interests of the sports federations themselves to know how they stand.
``What kind of message does the IOC send when there is complete secrecy on an issue that is important to the world?'' Pound said. ``I strongly urge that we reconsider the idea of sending a sealed envelope by messenger to a notary to Switzerland who keeps it in a safe somewhere. It's off message in the year 2005. We should be proud that we're able to decide and we should know exactly what the outcomes should be.''
But Rogge said the IOC executive board had accepted the request by the federations, who fear a low vote total would hurt them in finding sponsorship and television contracts.
``Whether we agree or not, if this is the unanimous position of the 28 international federations, we have to respect that,'' Rogge said.
Removal from the program would be devastating for smaller sports, which rely heavily on Olympic revenues for survival.
In 2002, Rogge proposed that baseball, softball and modern pentathlon be removed and golf and rugby be added, but IOC members resisted and no vote was taken. Since then, he has instituted a review of the entire program after each edition of the games.
``The program isn't something that can be fixed for eternity -- it has to be evolving,'' Rogge said. ``We need to be relevant.''
July 8, 2005
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program for the 2012 Summer Games in London.
Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained.
The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports. That decision will be made Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Baseball and softball are the first sports cut from the Olympics since water polo in 1936.
Baseball has been vulnerable because it doesn't bring top Major League players to the Olympics. Softball has been in danger because of a perceived lack of global appeal and participation.
``Needless to say, these sports are very, very disappointed,'' IOC president Jacques Rogge said after announcing the result. ``However, I have to emphasize the fact that they should not fear this purge. The fact is that they shall not be included in the program of the 2012 Olympic Games, but it does not disqualify them forever as Olympic sports.''
Rogge said baseball and softball will be eligible to win back their place in future games.
``I would like to invite the leaders of these sports that will not be included in the program to make their very best efforts during the coming years so as to be able to convince the session that they deserve to come back to the Olympic Games in 2016. We shall support them in their efforts,'' he said.
The IOC will keep the voting figures secret. Not even the IOC members or sports federations will learn the totals. The secrecy was requested by the international federations in order to avoid any ranking or embarrassment for any sports which just barely make the cut.
Rogge said the figures will be seen only by an independent official, who will send the results by sealed envelope to an IOC notary in Lausanne, Switzerland. Rogge will only open the envelope in the case of a voting dispute.
``Not all sports are indispensable for the Olympic program, we know that,'' Rogge told the delegates before the vote.
Rogge urged the 100-plus members to vote strictly on the technical merits of the sports and not for subjective, political or personal reasons.
``If you consider a modification, you should be convinced it will bring an improvement,'' Rogge said.
Senior IOC member Dick Pound of Canada harshly criticized the secrecy, saying it undermined the IOC's moves for openness. He said it was in the interests of the sports federations themselves to know how they stand.
``What kind of message does the IOC send when there is complete secrecy on an issue that is important to the world?'' Pound said. ``I strongly urge that we reconsider the idea of sending a sealed envelope by messenger to a notary to Switzerland who keeps it in a safe somewhere. It's off message in the year 2005. We should be proud that we're able to decide and we should know exactly what the outcomes should be.''
But Rogge said the IOC executive board had accepted the request by the federations, who fear a low vote total would hurt them in finding sponsorship and television contracts.
``Whether we agree or not, if this is the unanimous position of the 28 international federations, we have to respect that,'' Rogge said.
Removal from the program would be devastating for smaller sports, which rely heavily on Olympic revenues for survival.
In 2002, Rogge proposed that baseball, softball and modern pentathlon be removed and golf and rugby be added, but IOC members resisted and no vote was taken. Since then, he has instituted a review of the entire program after each edition of the games.
``The program isn't something that can be fixed for eternity -- it has to be evolving,'' Rogge said. ``We need to be relevant.''