Baseball5 showcase at Tokyo 2020 FAN PARK a great success

Baseball5 showcase at Tokyo 2020 FAN PARK a great success
07/09/2021
In all, 3,617 people visited the future Youth Olympic Games discipline, with 1,936 reporting they enjoyed playing the five-on-five game with instructors and university volunteers.

The WBSC partnered with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest media conglomerate, to showcase Baseball5 in the Tokyo 2020 Fan Park sports experience zone. The WBSC five-on-five discipline attracted more than 3,000 people on the sidelines of the Paralympics, which ran from 24 August to 5 September. 

The Baseball5 demonstration area allowed visitors to experience the five-on-five discipline, with instructors providing introductory training sessions and mini-games. In all, 3,617 people visited the future Youth Olympic Games discipline and 1,936 of them reporting that they enjoyed playing with instructors and university volunteers. 

Ayako Rokkaku, Baseball5 instructor and WBSC ambassador, said: “I felt again that the appeal of Baseball5 is that anyone can do it easily and safely. On the other hand, Baseball5 is not limited to baseball/softball, and people with backgrounds in various sports can make use of its advantages.” 

The Tokyo 2020 Fan Park was located at the west side of Aomi district Central Park during the Paralympic Games, and was limited to Tokyo residents. Visitors could also have access to some Paralympic sports, like wheelchair basketball or boccia, and a Tokyo 2020 Official Shop among other activities. 

In addition to the sport experience, The Yomiuri Shimbun displayed extra editions on Japanese Olympic and Paralympic team members and the WBSC introduced and displayed the history of baseball and softball in the Olympics.

"2020 FAN TV'' broadcasted the showcase via YouTube, Twitter and LINE Live and generated more than 570,000 live viewers. 

Baseball5 will make its Youth Olympic Games (YOG) debut at the Dakar 2026 YOG in Senegal, Africa.