International Netball Federation President Liz Nicholl says inclusion within the Olympic Games remains a major ambition for the sport ©Getty Images

The International Netball Federation (INF) President Liz Nicholl says inclusion within the Olympic Games remains a major ambition for the sport.

Netball has been a part of the Commonwealth Games since 1998 and the sport has hosted its own World Cup since 1963.

The INF is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Nicholl said the ambition of the Federation's members is for netball to become an Olympic sport.

"I don't think it's going to happen in the short term," Nicholl told Sky Sports.

"I think the important thing is to be very clear about the criteria that the IOC uses when judging whether events should be in or out.

"I think that we also have to be conscious that the programme schedule changes.

"So, even if you were in, it doesn't mean that you're in for a long time."

Nicholl served as chief executive of England Netball for 16 years, before moving to UK Sport where she worked for 20 years, which included nine as chief executive.

She was elected to her new role at the INF in July 2019 and replaced Molly Rhone at the end of last year's Netball World Cup, held in the United Kingdom.

Nicholl said she believed there was a wide-ranging criteria netball would have to meet if it was to become an Olympic sport.

Liz Nicholl took over as President of the International Netball Federation following last year's Netball World Cup ©Getty Images
Liz Nicholl took over as President of the International Netball Federation following last year's Netball World Cup ©Getty Images

"At the heart of it, it's about eyeballs on the sport," said Nicholl.

"It's about how many people really are followers of this sport and how many people around the world. 

"So, we have got to grow our sport in order to be able to be credible applicants.

"We've got to grow the number of nations that are regularly competing, we've got to grow the number of supporters and followers. 

"So, that's what we're working on.

"It is our strategy, we're doing it for ourselves as it's good for netball anyway, but as a consequence it should position us better in the future for that Olympic opportunity."

Fast5 netball is one of the eight sports that is being contested at the next Commonwealth Youth Games.

Competition was due to take place in Trinidad and Tobago in August 2021, however it was announced last week that the event would be rescheduled due to a direct clash with the rearranged Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

"We are thinking about Fast5 netball as a product which might be more attractive in terms of having an Olympic presence," Nicholl said. 

"We're planning to test that out at the Commonwealth Youth Games."