Softball - Youth World Cup launched in 2016 Games quest

By Ralph Jennings

BEIJING (Reuters) - World softball officials will launch a Youth World Cup event next year in Europe as part of its bid to rejoin the Olympics after being removed for London 2012, organisers said on Friday.

The International Softball Federation's initiative for girls aged 16 and under is geared to combat poor media coverage, lack of global awareness and a fear that U.S. teams will always crush competitors from abroad.

Softball, a traditional American community sport that follows most rules of baseball, was voted out of the 2012 London Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will consider it for 2016.

"We will stop at nothing to get back on the programme in 2016," federation president Don Porter told a news conference. "We aim to be back. There is no doubt about that."

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