Japanese Men’s Softball League season cancelled

Japanese Men’s Softball League season cancelled
13/08/2020
The Japanese Softball Association announced the cancellation of the 2020 men's season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 49th edition of the Japanese Men’s Softball League has been cancelled due to ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders from the Japanese Softball Association (JSA), who made the announcement last week, are looking for an alternative competition for the men’s teams.

The Japanese Men's Softball League was scheduled to begin on 5 September with 18 teams, split into two divisions: East and West. The finals were slated to be played on 14-15 November in Okayama City.

Last year, the Hirabayashi Metal was crowned as the league’s champion, after a 7-0 win over Denso in the final match, played in Nagoya City. Some of the biggest names of the sport participated in the league, like Australian lefty Andrew Kirkpatrick or Argentine righty Huemul Mata.

Japan is the top-ranked nation in the WBSC Men’s Softball World Rankings. Last year, Japan finished as runner-up in the Men’s Softball World Championship in Prague, and currently is the reigning U-18 world champion after winning the inaugural tournament in Palmerston North, in February 2020.