NIPPON EXPRESS CO., LTD. (Chief Executive Officer and President: Kenji Watanabe), has signed as a global sponsor for the 2017 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSICTM, a tournament to be held from Mon. Mar. 6 through Wed. Mar. 22, 2017. As a global sponsor, we at Nippon Express are committed in our support for both the world's premier baseball tournament and for Samurai Japan's efforts at reclaiming its position as world champion.
The premier baseball tournament in the world as well as the only one in which there is participation by Major Leaguers, WORLD BASEBALL CLASSICTM is an international competition organized by World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI) and competed in by 28 countries and regions from all over the world. Launched in the year 2006, this event is held once every four years and garners attention from a broad spectrum of areas that span everywhere from baseball huge fan Japan, as well as the USA, where the sport was born, to the Latin American countries/regions that have produced so many Major Leaguers and even Asian countries/regions with burgeoning economies. The excitement that surrounds the very competition and fervor that envelopes countries/regions where the entire nation is unified in support of their team has made this a competition that has earned the support and high hopes of baseball fans the world over. Samurai Japan, the national team of this country, won glory as champion of the first edition in 2006 in a miraculous run-up sparked by a run-difference tiebreaker from the games that had been played in the opening round. Japan duplicated its success in the second edition in 2009 by edging Korea with a slim victory. And though denied glory in the third edition last time in 2013 by the narrowest of defeats, Japan is fancied as a contender to take the title of the fourth edition to be held this year. Its supporters have high expectations in Japan reclaiming its place as world champion in this coming edition.
In the First Round of this competition, there are four groups each consisting of four teams that will compete in respective pools in Tokyo, Seoul (Korea), Miami (USA), and Jalisco (Mexico). The top-two teams from each pool will then advance to the Second Round. The Second Round games will be held in Tokyo and San Diego (USA) and will ultimately yield four winners that advance to the Final Round in Los Angeles (USA). The semifinals and final are to be played in a single-elimination format in the campaign to determine the world champion.
The teams taking part in the Tokyo pool of the First Round are Japan, Cuba, China, and Australia.
Based on "NIPPON EXPRESS GROUP CORPORATE STRATEGY 2018 -New Sekai-Nittsu-", our current medium-term management plan, we at Nippon Express have set 860 billion yen as our target for sales from overseas-related business in our efforts toward becoming a truly global logistics company. We hope that our sponsorship of the 2017 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSICTM, a competition that attracts global attention, will serve as means of sharing our business vision with many individuals via the ability of sports to impart dreams, hopes, thrills, and the desire to challenge oneself to be better.
| Formal name of the competition | 2017 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSICTM |
|---|---|
| Outline of the competition | A total of 28 countries and regions (including preliminary) stake their national and territorial pride by competing in the WORLD BASEBALL CLASSICTM, the most prestigious baseball tournament in the world - and the only international competition in which Major Leaguers participate. The 2017 edition of this competition represents its fourth iteration. |
| Organizers | World Baseball Classic Inc. and Yomiuri Shimbun (Tokyo pool) |
| Participating countries/regions | 28 countries and regions that include Japan, Cuba, China, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Netherlands, Israel, Canada, Dominican Republic, USA, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela |
| Tournament schedule | Mon. Mar. 6 through Wed. Mar. 22, 2017 |
| Venues | Tokyo (First Round, Second Round) Seoul (First Round) Miami (First Round) Jalisco (First Round) San Diego (Second Round) Los Angeles (Final Round: semifinals and final) |
