Japan has pledged continued support for the development of baseball and other sports in Nigeria, as the country intensifies preparations for a bid to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The Japan ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, disclosed this in Abuja, while hosting a reception in honour of Tomonari Shinya, who assumed office as Head Coach of the Nigeria National Baseball Team in Ju ne.

He expressed hope that newly appointed Nigeria national baseball coach, Tomonari Shinya, will lead the country to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The ambassador said Japan’s support for sports development in Nigeria covered several disciplines, including baseball, football, karate, judo and badminton, through equipment, uniforms, competitions and other development initiatives.

He said Japan had also been using its Sport for Tomorrow programme to support Tomonari’s efforts to promote baseball in Nigeria.

Suzuki said: “Despite the highly competitive qualification process, under which only one place is allocated to Africa, I sincerely hope that Mr. TOMONARI will lead Nigeria to qualification for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.”

He said he first met Tomonari in August last year and was impressed by his passion for developing baseball across Africa, adding that he had since supported his efforts.

Suzuki disclosed that 10 Nigerian players were currently on the rosters of professional baseball teams in Japan, describing the development as evidence of growing sporting ties between both countries.

The ambassador also cited the achievements of Japanese baseball stars Hideo Nomo, Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani in Major League Baseball in the United States, saying their professionalism and discipline had helped raise the profile of Japanese baseball internationally.

He expressed hope that similar developments would emerge from the growing baseball relationship between Japan and Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Tomonari said his appointment had brought his 28-year relationship with Nigeria full circle, recalling that his first major connection with the country began in 1998 when he was coaching the Ghana national baseball team.

He said the Nigerian national team repeatedly travelled to Ghana to play against his inexperienced side, giving Ghana opportunities to compete and develop.

According to him, those encounters helped lay the foundation for Ghana’s progress to the semifinals of the Sydney Olympic qualifiers in Johannesburg.

Tomonari said a letter he received from the then-president of the Nigeria Baseball and Softball Association, General William, after the tournament changed the direction of his career.

He said the former Nigerian baseball chief thanked him for helping establish baseball in Ghana and encouraged him to continue supporting the development of baseball in Africa.

In his remarks, President of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation Africa (WBSC Africa), Uche Odozor, described Tomonari as a long-standing friend and supporter of baseball development in Africa.

Odozor said Nigeria had abundant young talent that could be developed into world-class players if the country effectively bridged the gap between sporting infrastructure and human capacity.

He commended the Japanese ambassador for hosting the reception at his residence, describing the gesture as a demonstration of the relationship and goodwill between Japan and Nigeria.

Odozor said Tomonari had worked on baseball development projects across several African countries and had supported the vision of WBSC Africa.

He said Nigeria should take advantage of the opportunity presented by Tomonari’s appointment to develop the next generation of baseball players.

Also speaking, Chairman of the WBSC Africa Development Commission, Armstrong Ogwuche, said the partnership with Tomonari was designed not only to pursue Olympic qualification but also to produce players capable of competing at different levels over the next eight years.

Ogwuche urged the Japanese community, sports stakeholders and other supporters to back the programme.

He said Tomonari had demonstrated his capacity to develop players through his work in Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan and other African countries.

He also stressed the wider benefits of sports, particularly its ability to promote discipline, respect, friendship and international cooperation.