Softball star Veronika Peckova lands Japanese car sponsorship in Czech Republic

Czech softball star Veronika PECKOVA has partnered with Toyota to become the Japanese car giant's brand ambassador in the central European country. PECKOVA played for Toyota Red Terriers this season in the Japanese Softball League (JSL), which first introduced the Czech flamethrower and the Japanese car manufacturer. The Czech Olympic Team, which Toyota sponsors, brought the partnership to the table, and upon the pitcher's return from Japan, the deal was closed.

The 24-year-old right hander this year completed her rookie season in the JSL, one of the top softball leagues in the world. She helped the Toyota Red Terriers to finish top of the standings in the regular season, before losing back-to-back games in the playoffs for third-place finish.

“I stayed in Japan for eight and a half months. I arrived there at the end of February and left in mid-November,” said PECKOVA. “It was great, but there was a lot of training. We trained about six times a week and the first half of the season was cancelled, so the first six months were only about training. After that, we started playing.

“Fans could be present only for two tournaments from the whole league. They made a great atmosphere. Although they could not cheer completely as they normally do because of the coronavirus, the fact that they were there and that they supported us was great."

PECKOVA pitched for the Czech National Team at the 2015 WBSC Junior Women’s Softball World Championship and was the ace of the Czech team at last year's WBSC Europe/Africa Qualifier to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.