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Canada Cup chairman Greg Timm says softball being added to Los Angeles 2028 means “more money to travel, more money to develop players”
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Published Jul 08, 2024 • 4 minute read
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Team Israel’s Robyn Wampler pitches against Team Philippines at the Canada Cup at Softball City in South Surrey on July 3. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
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Women’s softball is coming back to the Olympics, which means Olympians should be coming back in great numbers to the annual Canada Cup tournament at Softball City in South Surrey.
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Softball isn’t on the docket for the Paris 2024 Games, but it’s one of the sports added for Los Angeles 2028 and, with Australia’s penchant for the game, there’s a strong chance it will be included again in Brisbane 2032.
Being a part of the Olympics means more access to funding both from government and sponsors, points out Canada Cup chairman Greg Timm. And that should lead to more international teams coming to the Cup, which has long been considered one the top invitational tournaments in the world.
There were 10 national squads at this year’s tourney, which wrapped up Sunday with Team Canada scoring a 7-0 win over American club TC Colorado in the finale in a mercy-ruled five innings. The most national teams the tournament has attracted is 16, which came in 1999 as countries were preparing for Sydney 2000.
Former Canadian standouts like Danielle Lawrie, Jenn Salling and Melanie Matthews have been mainstays at the tournament over the years, while international stars like Americans Jennie Finch and Lisa Fernandez, Aussies Natalie Ward and Melanie Roche, and Japan’s Yukiko Ueno have all taken part as well.
“It’s so huge,” Timm said when asked what softball being back in the Olympics means for the Cup. “There’s more funding for the sport in each country. It adds credibility to the sport in each country. There’s more of a focus on base-building of young players in each country. There’s more money to travel, more money to develop players.”
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12 International teams, 1 winner. Welcome your 2024 Women’s International Champions: Team Canada! 🥇 Winners of the Canada Cup International Softball Championship. 🇨🇦🏆🥎
Good luck in Italy at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup! 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/inJPNy2zvD
— Canada Cup (@CanadaCupSurrey) July 8, 2024
B.C. has long been a hotbed for softball talent in this country. Lawrie, Salling and Matthews are among the national team players from this province. As well, Team Canada’s 21-player roster this past week at Softball City included nine players from B.C.
Lawrie and Salling were among the players who rejoined the national program when softball rejoined the Olympic calendar for Tokyo 2020. Timm expects something similar could happen again. As well, he says there are current players who are more likely to stick with the national team due to L.A. 2028.
“There are so many possibilities when you add those Olympic rings, that dream of playing in the top sporting event in the world,” he said.
The Cup debuted in 1993 and was the brainchild of the late Glen Todd, who wanted to help Team Canada prepare for softball’s first Olympics at Atlanta 1996.
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The sport was dropped from the Olympic calendar after Beijing 2008, getting voted out along with baseball. Official reasons for the ousting were never given. There’s been speculation that it was a result of softball being dominated by the Americans to that point, or that it was tied too closely to baseball and there were worries about that sport’s steroid scandals.
Starting with Tokyo 2020, the Olympics began to allow host countries to add sports. Baseball/softball joined karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing there.
Team Canada won the softball bronze medal in Tokyo, edging Mexico 3-2 in their final game. Lawrie got the win.
Surrey’s Sara Groenewegen was part of that Canadian side. She’s with the current crew as well, and the right-hander got the start in the pitcher’s circle on Sunday against TC Colorado. She gave up two hits while striking out three and walking two in her two innings. Abbotsford outfielder Callum Pilgrim had a three-run homer.
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Team Canada now heads to the Women’s Softball World Cup Finals in Castions di Strada, Italy, and they’ll open up the eight-team tourney against the Americans next Monday.
The national teams at the Canada Cup this time around included Israel and about 40 Pro-Palestine protesters were at Softball City for their Wednesday game against Canada. The tournament had brought in paid security ahead of the tournament, and Surrey RCMP were also on hand Wednesday.
L.A. 2028 organizers announced last month that softball, as well as canoeing, will take place in Oklahoma City, explaining in a written statement that the “venues in Oklahoma City are built to international competition standards, ensuring a high-quality experience for athletes and fans, while allowing L.A. 28 to realize cost savings and revenue gains to support its balanced budget.”
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Every NCAA Women’s College World Series but one since 1990 has been played in Oklahoma City. According to Google Maps, Oklahoma City is about 2,100 kilometres east of L.A.
Along with baseball/softball, L.A. 2028 has added sixes field lacrosse, cricket, flag football and squash.
SEwen@postmedia.com
x.com/@SteveEwen
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Courtesy : https://theprovince.com/sports/olympics-pmn/softball-returning-olympics-should-boost-to-canada-cup-tournament