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

 

But, after a meeting in Orlando yesterday, the International Softball Federation (ISF) Don Porter said he had rejected baseball's overtures.

 

He said: "The ISF recently received a proposal from the International Baseball Federation for a combined approach for Olympic Games programme status. 

 

"However, having looked at all the factors involved, the ISF has decided that softball will not combine with any other sport and stands by the current proposals to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) submitted in our recent response to their Questionnaire.

 

“The ISF proposal to the IOC is for an elite women’s softball discipline with the option of an elite men’s discipline if desired."

 

In 2005, the IOC controversially 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.

 

Since then the doping problem in baseball has grown even more apparent, including an admission by Alex Rodriguez, the sport's biggest and highest-paid star, that he had used banned performance-enhancing anabolic steroids.

 

Harvey Schiller, the president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) who Porter met with yesterday, has claimed that the sport is winning its battle against doping.  

 

Most experts, however, believe that the scandal, which has dominated the United States media for weeks now, has ended any slim chance that baseball had of regaining its place in the Olympics.

 

Since being voted off the Olympic programme, softball has moved to distance itself from baseball.

 

Porter said: "We have offered the IOC a doping-free, universal team sport that reflects the values of Olympism all over the world.

 

“Softball is a global sport governed by a fully independent international federation - the ISF. 

 

"Softball is also a stand-alone sport with its own rules, values, and philosophy.

 

“To reinforce this and in accordance with ISF statutes, the ISF recently instructed any national softball federation that is combined with a national federation of any other sport(s), to become fully independent at the earliest opportunity. 

 

"We have developed measures to safeguard the federations who need to make this transition.

 

“Softball is expanding, especially among the world’s youth and females. 

 

"The best way for us to continue this progress is for softball to remain firmly independent in all the major multi-sport Games - including the Olympic Games.

 

“Softball enjoyed an incredibly successful Olympic Games in Beijing last year and proved without doubt that, as a stand-alone sport, softball adds great value to the Olympic Games programme."

 

Baseball and softball are two of seven sports trying to win election to the 2016 Olympics.

 

The others are golf, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens and squash.

 

The IOC is due to make a decision at its Session in Copenhagen in October.