SOFTBALL
IOC plays hardball with softball girls
Westfields Sports softball vice captain Ashlea Abbott and Captain Jessie Troy - Photo: Nick Andrean
By:Melissa Matherson
AS Westfields Sports High celebrates the world-beating efforts of former student Dani Samuels, the Olympic dreams of its young softball
players have been smashed out of the park.
The girls’ team at Westfields have been crowned NSW Combined High Schools state champions, but the International Olympic Committee has
decided their sport has no place at the 2016 Olympic Games.
The IOC has instead decided to include women’s boxing for the 2012 Games in London and rugby sevens and golf in 2016.
“I’m a bit crushed. It’s a lifelong dream, I’m sure, for all of us to play in the Olympics,” captain Jessie Troy, 16, said.
Teammate Karla Davidson, 15, said the 2016 Olympic Games “would have been the year we would have been pushing for”.
The IOC decision means softball is under threat of losing major funding, according to Westfields softball convener Leanne Solomons. “The
AOC (Australian Olympic Committee) doesn’t fund softball anymore - if we want to go out and practice at the Olympic Park facilities at
Blacktown they’ll charge us full price,” she said.
There are 16 girls from across Sydney in the softball program as Westfields. The team is upset they have been drawn into an Olympic fight
with women’s boxing.
“The great thing about softball is you can play until you’re 50, 60. I don’t think you continue boxing until you’re 50, do you?” Ms Solomons said.
Posted 26th August 2009
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