Three Sports Pitch IOC, Await Decision

(ATR) The three sports vying for a place at the 2020 Olympics have presented their cases to the IOC.

Baseball-softball, squash and wrestling each had 20 minutes to try and convince delegates to back their bid to become the 28th sport. The vote takes place around 12pm local time in Buenos Aires where the IOC Session is taking place.

Earlier the Session voted to approve the 25 core sports. IOC president Jacques Rogge had rejected a proposal by Canada's Dick Pound to delay the vote. Pound said the ancient sport of wrestling should be retained but the IOC should review the core sports to make space for a new one, emphasizing that was the reason for the sports bidding process.

Riccardo Fraccari, co-president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, gave a handful of compelling reasons why the IOC should restore the sports to the Olympics after both were knocked off the program in 2005.

Fraccarisaid baseball-softball "should be the choice" if the IOC wanted diversity, gender equity, commercial appeal and revenue generation. "There’s no other bat and ball sport in games," he said.

Almost in tears at times, World Baseball Softball Confederation co-president Don Porter gave a heartfelt appeal."This is my 40th year working and living for softball and baseball too. A lot of people ask me why I keep working so hard. The truth is I love mysport."

He cited letters he received soon after softball were kicked out of the Olympics, saying kids were "heartbroken" about the decision. "I keep thoseletters because they touch my heart and constantly remind me of myvision," he added.

Porter said the baseball and softball tournament would be "innovative and efficient" and offer real added value to the Olympics.

Leaders of national confederations appeared in a video to underline their support for the Olympic bid.

Antonio Castro, son of former Cuban leader, talked about the globalreach of the sport and its role in educating the youth of the worldabout Olympic values.

Australian baseball player made a reference the fact that many MajorLeague Baseball players are keen to turn out at the Olympics. "Putbaseball in the Games and you’ll get the best players in the world," hesaid.

Squash:Olympics the Pinnacle

World Squash Federation president N Ramachandran told the IOC that his sport "represents the future and not the past".

He said the sport's third consecutive bid was the culmination of a 10-year campaign to join the Olympics.

"We have come of age and are more than ready to join the Games," Ramachandran said, speaking about a series of innovations designed to grow its appeal as an Olympic sport. "We are genuinely a global sport and growing."

What would it mean to play at the Olympic Games?, asked men’s world champion Ramy Ashour in a video: "Absolutely everything."

The video showcased the key squash proposition: low cost, easy to integrate, and how glass courts could be erected in attractive locations in an Olympic host city.

Ashour also highlighted his sports anti-doping record and 100 percent compliance with WADA.

Five-times women’s world champion, Sarah Fitzgerald from Australia told the IOC how the sport had been "on a journey of innovation" to broaden its appeal.

The presentation wrapped up with a YouTube video featuring clips of squash players young and old around the world who are championing the Olympic bid

Wrestling Battles to Retain Olympic Status

Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic made an impressive start to his sport’s final bid to avoid the Olympic chop.

Describing today as "the most important day in the sport’s 3,000 year history", Lalovic added "we feel the weight of that history. It is crucial to our survival."

In February, the IOC Executive Board recommended wrestling be dropped from the Olympcs, triggering a global backlash to the decision. But the IOC gave wrestling the chance to retain its status when it shortlisted the sport in May for the IOC vote in Buenos Aires.

"We have made mistakes, we admitted it. It will not happen again," he said in answer to questions from IOC members about what FILA had done to turnaround the sport.

Concerns about allegation of corruption under Lalovic's predecessor were also raised. He batted them away, saying FILA was working to become more transparent: "We are on the right track."

U.S. Olympic wrestler Jim Scherr, who starred at the 1988 Seoul Games, added punch to the presentation’s momentum.

"If there’s one thing you remember from this presentation it’s that wrestling is new in every way. The EB [decision] was a wake-up call. We have turned it into a huge opportunity for the sport and the Olympic Movement," he said.

He claimed FILA was "united and focused" like never before under wrestling’s new leadership following a wave of governance changes. He spoke of a wave of innovations, including rule changes and a new look and feel for the sport to make it more interesting for spectators and TV audiences.

Scherr said wrestling had made "extraordinary progress" and to highlight the sport’s push for greater gender parity said two new weight classes for women had been introduced at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

"FILA understands it responsibilities to our athletes, the Olympic Games and the IOC," he said.

Several wrestling Olympians also took the stage, the best line from one being: "We just didn’t create a new FILA we created a new wrestling."

Written by Mark Bisson.

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