Masatake Yamanaka, the chairman of the Baseball Federation of Japan (BFJ), announced that Japan is looking to participate in the first Baseball5 Asian Cup, scheduled from 17 to 19 August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a qualifier for the inaugural WBSC Baseball5 World Cup.
Baseball5 Japan, a joint effort by BFJ and the Japan Softball Association (JSA), will select the team that represents the country in international competition.
The first step will be a digital challenge. Teams will be required to upload their video by 18 June. Baseball5 Japan will then select eight teams based on the talent displayed in the video. Eight teams from the digital challenge will come together to participate in a tournament scheduled 16-17 July, with the winning team to represent Japan at the Asian Cup.
Only Japanese citizens born before 1 January 2008 are eligible to apply for the selection.
Baseball5 Japan also announced a deal with strategic partner Amadana Sports Entertainment. The company will be in charge of creating a new logo, the uniforms for the Japanese Baseball5 National Team and promoting the five-on-five version of baseball/softball in the country.
