TOKYO — A former Yomiuri Giants player is working to popularize baseball in Southeast Asia, planning a tournament in Jakarta modeled after Japan's Summer Koshien high school championships.
“I want to spread the appeal of Koshie, which is part of Japan's traditional baseball culture, across borders and expand the baseball market,” Shogo Shibata said in announcing the tournament on Tuesday. Shibata starred in Koshien and now runs a consulting company in Singapore.