On the eve of the International Softball Federation's (ISF) crucial presentation to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) ruling Executive Board Feisal flew in specially to offer encouragment to the team trying to regain its place after it was controversially voted off the programme for London 2012 at the Session in Singapore four years ago.

 

Feisal, the President of the Jordanian Olympic Committee, told insidethegames: "I believe in softball.

 

"I believe it deserves to be in the Olympic Games.

 

"It's come a long way since Singapore.

 

"They listened and have done a lot of hardwork at the grassroots level which is in line with the Olympic values and what the Olympic Games are all about.

 

"They have made great strides and they thorougly deserve to be back in the Olympic Games."

 

Feisal is expected to appear in a specially recorded video message during the softball presentation tomorrow which will be led by ISF President Don Porter and also include Michele Smith, a member of the United States team that won Olympic gold in 1996 and 2000, Jessica Mendoze, a silver medallist in 2008, and Australia's Danielle Stewart, a bronze medallist at Beijing last year.

 

Softball is unique among the seven sports hoping to be included in the programme for 2016 that it is the only one that is played exclusively by women in the Olympics.

 

Feisal said: "I am on the IOC Women in Sports Commission and part of that remit is to make sports accessible to women and to encourage women's participation in sport.

 

"It would be a very important message to send."

 

Feisal pointed to the fact that softball federations have recently been set-up in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan as a sign that the sport is penetrating countries that other sports struggle to.

 

He said: "When you consider that half the world's population is female the opportunities to attract them to a sport that gives them the pleasure of being fun to play and gets them involved in physical activity is very important.

 

"It is fun to play, it does not require any restrictions in terms of clothing - which is particularly important when you consider conservative countries like in the Arabic and Muslim world - and its not a contact sport.

 

"It's very much a grass roots game that can be played anywhere and almost any time.

 

"What sport could better encompass Olympic values and ideals than softball?

 

"I don't know of one.

 

"It's important to have sports are accessible and that encourage women to be active.

 

"It doesn't require much more than a couple of bats, a couple of gloves and some balls, which is very basic equipment.

 

"I think it would be a good message to include softball again.

 

"But it deserves to be there on its own merits not just because it is played by women."

 

Feisal (pictured with insidethegames editor Duncan Mackay) claimed that the sport is also growing in popularity in Europe, including Britan.

 

He said: "You only need to go to Hyde Park in the afternoons and see the number of pick-up softball games that are going on there.

 

"There is growing interest and it is picking up.

 

"Anyone can play it from the age of four or five into your 70s.

  

"There are three things involved: throwing, hitting and catching the ball - and a little bit of running."

 

The other six sports who will be presenting to the Executive Board tomorrow will be baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens and squash.

 

The Board is expected to choose two sports at next meeting in Berlin on August 13  to recommend to the IOC Session in Copenhagen in October.