The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is hoping both sports, each hugely popular in Japan, could return following IOC President Thomas Bach's Agenda 2020 review due to be discussed in Monte Carlo on December 8 and 9.

Baseball and softball last appeared on the Olympic Games programme at Beijing 2008 and failed in its initial bid for Tokyo 2020 inclusion at last year's IOC Session in Buenos Aires where wrestling was retained on the programme having controversially been recommended for exclusion after Rio 2016.

The creation of World Softball Day, now entering its tenth year, was inspired by the announcement on June 13, 1991, from the IOC that the sport was to make its Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996.

Since 2005, World Softball Day has been celebrated on June 13 every year to mark the announcement.

This year's World Softball Day takes place on Friday and the WBSC is encouraging people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds from its 141 national federations around the world to participate in softball activity.

In addition, the WBSC claims it wants to use the occasion to promote the social, health and physical benefits of softball, which it claims, along with baseball, serves as a common bond for millions of people from diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.

World Softball Day is now entering it's tenth year and marks the sport's inclusion on the Olympic programme, first announced on June 13, 1991 ©WBSC



"World Softball Day will be a time of celebration to promote the idea that anybody in the world can become active in sport," said WBSC secretary general Low Beng Choo.

"And that softball can serve as an attractive option for sport because it can be enjoyed almost anywhere and by children as young as two years-of-age to those beyond their 80s."

WBSC executive vice-President Dale McMann added: "With World Softball Day 2014, WBSC will continue building baseball and softball's position together as one of the world's leading and most inclusive, gender-balanced global sports."

The WBSC will retweet the best quotes, posts and images received from individuals via its Twitter feed using the #WorldSoftballDay and also on its Facebook page on Friday June 13.

The WBSC has also revealed it is looking into the possibility of launching a World Baseball Day and World Baseball Softball Day in the future.

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