Fukushima (SID) – The Japanese baseball players won their opening game at the Olympic tournament despite some difficulties. Team manager Atsunori Inaba’s team won 4: 3 against the Dominican Republic at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium.
Only in the ninth and thus last inning did the favorite turn the long uneventful game. In the second and final preliminary round game, Japan will face Mexico on Saturday (5.00 a.m. CEST).
Baseball, a national sport in Japan, is returning to the Olympic program for the first time since Beijing in 2008 at the Tokyo Games. The sport is no longer represented in Paris in 2024.
As in softball, in which the hosts won gold against record winners USA on Tuesday, six teams will compete in baseball. The game is initially played in two preliminary round groups.
The USA are considered a high favorite for the title. US player Eddy Alvarez even had the honor of carrying the “Star-Spangled Banner” next to the exceptional basketball player Sue Bird at the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
Japan, which won bronze in Barcelona in 1992 and Athens in 2004, also wants to have a say about gold. The final will take place on August 7th.
