They claimed they wanted to continue trying independently to persuade the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include men's and women's fast-pitch competition at the 2020 Games.

"The ISF has always acted as an independent sport, and presently plans to continue that internationally accepted practice," the ISF said, quoting its President Don Porter from a letter to his International Baseball Federation counterpart Riccardo Fraccari.

Softball said Fraccari recently suggested that a joint approach by the two sports to the IOC was "the only way back" to Olympic status.

Porter insisted that softball - which was played by women only at four Olympics from 1996-2008- could succeed alone.

"Softball, on its own, meets all criteria for inclusion as an Olympic medal sport," he said.

"Softball has been an independently governed sport for many years and its independent and separate proposal was accepted in 1991 by the IOC when softball was added to the Olympic programme."

Women's softball and men's baseball were dropped from the 2012 London Games programme, then rejected last year when the IOC voted in golf and rugby sevens for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The ISF rejected overtures from baseball and campaigned for votes by stressing its doping-free culture - an issue that had cost baseball support within the Olympic Movement.

The IOC will decide the 2020 sports programme at its Session in Buenos Aires in 2013, where it will also pick the city that will host the Olympics and Paralympics.


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