The presidents of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF) are scheduled to meet tomorrow in Orlando to discuss baseball's idea.

 

Because the sports are among seven competing for a maximum of two openings on the 2016 programme, baseball believes that a joint bid would improve both its own chances and those of the women's sport.

 

But Don Porter, the ISF president, is not optimistic that an agreement will be reached to put forward a joint proposal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

 

He said: "There's always a possibility, but it's a matter of where our discussion leads to.

 

""We're in a fight for our lives for our sport. We'll see where they're coming from."

 

IBAF president Harvey Schiller said that the two sports would help each other get added to the 2016 programme.

 

Schiller claimed the move would also let the IOC accommodate three of the sports bidding, rather than two.

 

Several baseball federations, including those of Japan, Europe and Africa, have written to the IBAF supporting the idea, according to Schiller, a former executive director of the US Olympic Committee.

 

In 2005, the IOC voted to drop baseball and softball for the 2012 London Olympics.

 

Softball officials have claimed that their sport was hurt by baseball's doping scandals, as well as the sport's inability to ensure that top players would participate in the Olympics - which are held during the major league season.

 

In a visit to Tokyo last week, Schiller said the IBAF has proposals that would allow major league players to participate, such as cramming the entire competition into five days.

 

Schiller also said during that trip that he was pleased with the cooperation he was getting from Major League Baseball on doping.

 

Last year, Porter said softball needed to "keep our distance from baseball so we're not tied to them."

 

He said: "It's nothing negative against baseball.

 

"It's just we have our own direction we want to take our sport."

 

The decision on which sports to add will be made in October during the IOC session at Copenhagen.

 

The other sports seeking election are golf, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens and squash.