The international federations that govern baseball and softball stood united Sunday afternoon with one goal in mind: getting their sports back on the Olympic program.
Spurred on by a common goal, the two bodies merged to form the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) at the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) congress, with WBSC co-presidents Riccardo Fraccari, the IBAF president, and International Softball Federation president Don Porter signing the new body’s constitution at a news conference during the IBAF congress at a Tokyo Hotel.
"We are on a great journey to return our beloved sport to the Olympic stage," Fraccari said. "We have been listening and learning from our friends in the Olympic family to understand how to succeed in that journey."