Olympic gold medal manager Atsunori Inaba returns to NPB as the Nippon Ham Fighters general manager

Olympic gold medal manager Atsunori Inaba returns to NPB as the Nippon Ham Fighters general manager
08/02/2022
Inaba met his successor Hideki Kuriyama during Spring Training.

After leading Japan to a WBSC Premier12 title and an Olympic gold medal, Atsunori Inaba retired from the Samurai Japan managing job.

"My future is undecided," commented Inaba after leading Japan to the Tokyo 2020 baseball gold medal in August, adding he wanted to keep contributing to "the development of baseball."

The 49-year-old will start over as the general manager of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team he had represented from 2005 to his retirement as a player in 2014, starring as the MVP of the Japan Series 2006 and leading them to the title.

Inaba appeared on the Fighters' coaching staff before joining Samurai Japan.

The Fighters just broke their Spring Training Camp and Inaba had a chance to meet with his successor Hideki Kuriyama.