| June 13 | | Event: 6th World Softball Day
Where: worldwide
On April 25, 2005, International Softball Federation (ISF) President
Don Porter declared that June 13 would be World Softball Day to
coincide with the date (in 1991) when the announcement was made
that (women's) softball was being added to the program of the
Olympic Games (effective with the 1996 Games in Atlanta).
The declaration of World Softball Day in 2005 also coincided with
the 40th anniversary of the first-ever world softball championship.
The first world softball championship, played in February of 1965
in Melbourne, Australia, featured a women's team from Australia,
Japan, New Guinea, New Zealand and USA
with host Australia winning the first world title.
Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, the Netherlands,
Puerto Rico and USA competed in softball's first appearance at the
1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the sport has made successful
appearances thereafter in 2000 (Sydney, Australia),
2004 (Athens, Greece) and 2008 (Beijing, China).
The ISF is encouraging all boys, girls, men and women to get out
and play softball on June 13 or to organize a game, event or tournament
specifically for World Softball Day.
Furthermore, the ISF president is asking media outlets around the world
to devote some of their sports coverage to softball on June 13.
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