ATHENS, Oct 28: Juan Antonio Samaranch, honorary president for life of the International Olympic Committee, has given his backing to softball's bid to return to the Olympic Games, the International Softball Federation said.

Samaranch, whose shrewd political manoeuvres during his 1980-2001 presidency dragged the IOC out of its worst crisis and established it as a global sports force, has agreed to serve as honorary chairman of the federation's task force.

Softball and baseball became the first sports to be cut from the Olympics since 1936 when the IOC voted them off the 2012 London Games programme last year.

Both sports will still be part of the 2008 Beijing Games.

“Obviously we continue to feel very strongly that softball should still be an Olympic sport beyond the 2008 Games,” ISF President Don Porter said.

“The task force is going to be made up of people that will be able to help us convince the IOC of that,” he said, adding that having Samaranch on board would bolster the efforts of the group.

Softball made its debut at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The IOC will decide on the programme for the 2016 Games at its 2009 session in Denmark.—Reuters