SWITZERLAND – New International Baseball Federation (IBAF) President Riccardo Fraccari recently discussed his plans for getting baseball reinstated into the Olympics with the following statement:

Two months have passed since I was elected into IBAF’s Office of the President, and I now deem it appropriate to render an official statement sharing my vision of the sport of baseball and its association with the Olympic Games.

Under the new administration, the IBAF will remain steadfastly committed to baseball’s reinstatement to the Olympic program. Support from the IOC is crucial for the IBAF and the national federations in order to strengthen a number of initiatives in baseball’s emerging nations. Thus, we must work diligently to earn the support of the IOC, if we are to continue to grow and develop our sport around the globe efficiently.

We are well aware of the obstacles that must be overcome to recapture Olympic status; however, I believe we are ready to effectively deal with such issues as Anti-Doping, participation of the best players, female discipline and global scheduling. Baseball will be able to play a leading role in the Olympic Games within the framework of the Olympic movement.

To better address these matters, the IBAF will create a commission wholly dedicated to baseball’s reinstatement onto the Olympic program. As IBAF president, I will directly lead this commission, along with high ranking officials from around the world.

The commission will be officially established after the Executive Committee meeting that will take place in Rome on February 20. We will keep the World Baseball Community abreast of the developments that arise from this newly formed commission.

As I mentioned in my statement after the election, we will be met with numerous challenges, but I am convinced that we can overcome our current predicament and achieve our goal of bringing baseball back to Olympics.

Riccardo Fraccari, IBAF President

Photo courtesy of FIBS

Tags: IBAF