Hiromi Tokuda, the WBSC Softball Continental Vice-President for Asia and Japan Softball Association (JSA) Honorary President, passed away on 9 October, in his native Japan. He was 72 years old.
Tokuda, born on 25 November 1948, started his career as a softball leader in 2000, as an advisor of the Denso Softball Team of the Japanese Softball League, a position he held for 12 years. He was president of the Aichi Softball Association from 2008 to 2012, when he sworn as Japan Softball president, a position he held for the next eight years. During his tenure, Japan claimed back to back Women’s Softball World Championships in 2012 and 2014. In 2020 he was named JSA Honorary President.
Tokuda undertook several innovation activities for the Japan Women’s Softball League, Men’s Softball, as well as JSA’s long-term strategy during his term as president.
Internationally, in 2014 he was named advisor of Softball Asia, the continental softball governing body, and was elected WBSC Softball Continental Vice-President in 2017. He served in both positions until his death.
