International Softball Federation (ISF) president Don Porter had originally announced the staging of tournament during the Beijing Olympics, where the sport was making its last appearance before being dropped for London 2012.

 

It has since mounted a strong campaign to be restored to the programme for the 2016 Games and, along with baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens and squash, is up for election at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Copenhagen in October 2009.

 

This new event , in which girls 16 and under will be eligible to compete, will be held between August 9 and 16, meaning it will conclude less than two months before the IOC votes on the 2016 sports programme.

 

The event is being held deliberately in Europe to try to emphasise that the sport does have a global reach and is not one confined to just North America, which many believe contributed to it being controversially voted off the programme for London at the IOC Session in Singapore in July 2005.

 

The tournament is being supported by the Easton Youth Foundation, named after Jim Easton, a 73-year-old member of the IOC whose Californian firm, Easton Sports Inc, manufacture softball equipment.

 

Porter said: “We’re excited to showcase the youth in our game at this event next year.

 

"We’re very confident in Prague as a host site and are most thankful to the Easton Foundation for their participation.”

 

The ISF president said the invitational event will consist of ten teams, with a possibility of that number increasing to 12, who will drawn from countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, thus ensuring that the five continents are represented.

 

 

Easton said: “We’re very pleased to be involved with this initiative.

 

“The tournament will surely help further develop youth in the sport of softball in many countries, and we are strong advocates of new opportunities for young boys and girls.”

 

Prague last year successfully hosted the first-ever men's Softball World Cup and had been the site of the Prague Softball Cup in 2004. 

 

The 2007 men’s event had significant national television coverage, and there have been several national tournaments in the host softball venue as well.

 

The Czech Republic Softball Association (CSA) president Gabriel Waage said: “The Czech Softball Association is honored to host the ISF Youth World Cup 2009 at Prague's Softball Center.

 

"This will be the major event next year for the CSA. 

 

"It will be hosted at the best softball facilities that the Czech Republic has to offer.  

 

 

"This event will surely be well organised and the Czech softball community, and I personally, will do our best to make this a successful tournament.”