Japan is to host archrivals South Korea in the opening game of the inaugural Premier12 baseball tournament, with the semi-finals and final of the international competition to be staged at the iconic Tokyo Dome, organizers said yesterday.
The new tournament, which is to be staged in both Japan and Taiwan in November, brings together eight teams including the US, Cuba and the Dominican Republic and is hoped to showcase the sport’s global popularity.
Baseball and softball are keen to return to the Olympic program when the Games are hosted by Tokyo in 2020.
World Baseball Softball Confederation president Riccardo Fraccari said at a news conference in Seoul yesterday that the event would help bring the sport into the public eye at a crucial time.
“The Premier12 platform provides another key opportunity for players to represent, promote and honour their countries, and build on the wave of continued globalization and excitement within our sport, particularly during this time when our sport is under Olympic observation for potential inclusion at the 2020 Games in Tokyo,” he said.
A decision on which and how many new sports are to be added to the slate for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is expected to be made next year, just before the start of the Rio Games. Program changes approved by the International Olympic Committee allow it to bring in more sports and cut some events as it works to keep the Olympics relevant to spectators and sponsors.
With its huge following in Japan, baseball is believed to be a front-runner to return after being cut from the Games after the Beijing Olympics.
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