Kiwi plays starring role in softball final

Reuters

MAIN STAGE: Pitcher Yukiki Ueno of Japan is lifted on team mates shoulders after they defeated the US in the gold medal softball game at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

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Wellington's Wiremu Tamaki says umpiring the women's softball "final final'' was the highlight of his career but he is "shattered'' the sport is being dropped from the Olympic Games programme.

Tamaki said it had been his goal to make the six-man umpiring team for Thursday night's final - potentially the last softball showdown in Olympic history. But he was "blown away'' to be assigned "to the dish'' at home plate.

The sole Kiwi umpire called a superb game as Japan upset the three-time defending champion United States, 3-1, in a rain-affected game.

It was fitting that a New Zealander should be part of the umpiring team because, until Japan's victory, New Zealand had been the last team to win a major women's world softball title at the United States' expense. That was 26 years ago at the 1982 world championships in Taiwan.

The United States went on to win nine world championships and Olympic titles between 1986 and now.

Ironically, the United States' dominance was a major factor cited by the International Olympic Committee for dropping softball from the London 2012 Games schedule.

"I'm pretty shattered about that,'' Tamaki told Fairfax just before the medals ceremony. "Softball's an awesome game. I started playing back in '91 or '92 and became an umpire in '97 because I wanted to learn the rules. I started umpiring premier men's and women's softball back home and thought, 'jeez, this is a bloody good game'.''

"We're the best in the world in the men's game.''

Tamaki said he wanted to stay umpiring at national and international level and was "pretty sad'' at the IOC decision. He could not umpire at the Olympics again anyway - rules allow umpires just one tour of duty. "This is a oncer, and I did it,'' he grinned.

"But I hope the ISF (International Softball Federation) and their programme called Back Softball puts us back on the Olympics for 2016.''

Whatever the outcome, Tamaki will treasure the memory of calling the shots in the last final. "It was just awesome. It was a very special moment for me. Our chief umpire was reading the names, starting from the sixth position, back to home plate. And I was going, 'is it going to be me', and it was me. My goal was to make the final six, but to be appointed to the dish just blew me away.''

He was so excited he wanted to share the news with someone but his wife, Sherra-lee, was "en route'' to Beijing "so I couldn't text her or ring her''. So he emailed New Zealand Softball chief umpire Wayne Saunders to say, "I'm on the dish... thank everyone at home for their support''.

Tamaki had the pressure of performing in front of 6200 fans - a far cry from Hataitai or Fraser Parks - including noisy USA and Japanese contingents. He also had to contend with a rain break in the fourth inning with Japan leading 0-2. Till then he had "got into a groove and was working the slot back there'' but the rain delay did affect him. "But I just had to toughen up and slot back in and start hitting the zone. A couple of pitches and I was away.''

The whole Olympic experience had been a buzz, said Tamaki, who plans to attend the closing ceremony after going to the opening before playing tourist with his wife.

- © Fairfax NZ News