The International Softball Federation has officially launched its bid to get the sport back into the Olympic programme for the 2016 Games.

The federation late on Wednesday said its task force, headed by former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch, met for the first time.

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 in 2005 over what the IOC saw as a lack of global appeal and reach.

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

"We have taken the first step to ensure that softball and its athletes will be an integral part of the Olympic Games in 2016 and beyond," ISF President Don Porter said in a statement.

"Softball narrowly failed to make the 2012 Olympic Programme by one vote at the IOC Session in Singapore in (July) 2005," he said.

"We intend to use softball's participation in the Olympic Program at the 2008 Beijing Games to emphasise the sport's worldwide popularity and appeal," he said.

Honorary IOC president 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.

Newly-elected International Boxing Association (AIBA) President Ching-Kuo Wu and two-time Olympic softball gold medalist Michele Smith were among those present at the meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland, the city where the IOC is based.

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