The International Softball Federation said Thursday it has chosen Japanese pitcher Yukiko Ueno as one of the athlete ambassadors in a bid to reinstate softball in the 2016 Olympics.
Ueno, who led Japan to its first Olympic gold medal in Beijing last summer and is taking a temporary leave of absence from the national team to obtain a coaching qualification, will support the ISF campaign along with ambassadors from other countries and regions.
Selected ambassadors will make a presentation to the executive board of the International Olympic Committee on June 15.
The final decision on which sports will be included in the 2016 Olympics is set to be made at the IOC Session in Copenhagen in October.