Major Japanese corporations to sponsor WBSC U-15 Youth Baseball World Cup 2016 highlighting baseball/softball's unparalleled commercial appeal in Japan

The World Baseball Softball Confederation today announced a list of official sponsors, including some of Japan's industry leaders in gaming, sports nutrition, real estate, restaurant operations and environmental services, for the upcoming WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup® 2016, reinforcing baseball/softball's commercial appeal in Japan, where it is the number one sport.

The III U-15 Baseball World Cup, which is the highest level of competition for players aged 13- to 15-years-old, opens Friday, 29 July, and is being hosted by the City of Iwaki in conjunction with the Baseball Federation of Japan and newspaper giant The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Official Partner.

The U-15 Baseball World Cup 2016 official partners, as well as WBSC Global Partners, will have a brand presence on signage at the competition venues, including on all media backdrops and mixed zones.

"The WBSC is extremely delighted to welcome these companies, who are among the industry leaders in their respective sectors, to the official U-15 Baseball World Cup sponsorship programme," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

"This line-up of sponsors reflects the growing appeal of baseball and softball's global platform, which is resonating more than ever, with brands looking to leverage sponsorship value and generate international exposure to reach new audiences -- especially younger generations, where our sport is strongly positioned. And these agreements on our youth Baseball World Cup property are particularly timely, as we hope to further demonstrate that adding baseball and softball to the Olympic Games would be a 'home run' for the Olympic Movement, Tokyo 2020, their partners, our sport and fans worldwide."

Already the top sport in Japan in terms of youth participation, existing infrastructure, broadcast/media coverage and fan-following/ticketing, baseball and softball are played by an estimated 65 million men and women athletes in over 140 countries worldwide.

U-15 BASEBALL WORLD CUP 2016 SPONSORS

Meiji Co., Ltd.,the fifth largest confectionery company in the world and a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Gold Partner, will showcase its sports-nutrition brand, Savas, through the U-15 Baseball World Cup sponsorship programme.

GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. (GungHo): The Tokyo-based gaming giant is the creator of popular games as Puzzle & Dragons and Ragnarok DS for Nintendo DS.

Toridoll Corp., a leader in Japanese restaurant operations, will promote its casual dining international franchise, Marugame Seimen.

At Home Co. Ltd. : Oversees one of the largest real estate listings and housing information sites in Japan and has engaged in strategic partnerships with clubs in Japan's top sports league, Nippon Professional Baseball.

Soso Retec: The Iwaki-based company provides expertise and services in waste management, construction, and environmental restoration and sustainability.

Sponsors Meiji, GungHo and co-host Yomiuri Shimbun return after first partnering on the WBSC Premier12® 2015 international baseball flagship tournament, which generated over $US 131 million in brand exposure and was Japan's most-watched international sports event in 2015.

WBSC GLOBAL PARTNERS

Mizuno Corp., one of the world's leading sports apparel and equipment manufacturers, will supply over 3,000 official game balls for the U-15 Baseball World Cup 2016 and also design/provide the official outfit of all tournament officials.

SSK, an elite Japanese baseball brand whose products are used by top pro players and clubs around the world, will be the exclusive kit supplier of the umpires of the U-15 Baseball World Cup 2016.

For more information, please contact:

media@wbsc.org, @WBSC

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