Venezuelan Olympic Committee President andsoftball legend Maria Soto emphasised the importance of having baseball andsoftball on the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) sports programme during ameeting with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Friday.
NOC President Soto visited President Bach at the Olympic House in Lausanne, where she become the first softball Olympian to sign the athletes wall and received a World Olympians Certificate of Recognition.
In 2022, she became the first female to beelected as president of the NOC, while Venezuela is currently the only countrywith two female Olympians in the positions of president and secretary general. Sotocompeted at Beijing 2008, while Secretary General Katiuska Santaella competedin judo at Atlanta 1996.
Softball has featured on the Olympic programme five times since its debut in Atlanta in 1996, while baseball has been played in six Games (in addition to seven editions as a demonstration sport), and Soto reiterated her belief that the popularity of the sports both in the United States and worldwide means it is vital they are included on LA28’s programme.
“It was an honour for me to speak with IOCPresident Bach at the Olympic House and have the chance to emphasise theimportance of having baseball and softball at LA28,” President Soto said. “Softballis one of the most popular sports in the United States and in many LatinAmerican countries as well as around the world, and I believe that it wouldincrease engagement with the Olympic Games in our region and globally.
“Including it on the programme will inspirethousands of girls and women to take up the sport and help continue its growthacross the globe. Beijing 2008 was a highlight of my career and I want othersoftball and baseball players around the world to experience the incredibleatmosphere of an Olympic Games.”
