AFC Champions League” Yangdai Steel kicks off the battle between Taiwan and Japan! The first time in my career is meaningful
Quick Look
- The 2026 Asian Professional Baseball Championship will kick off at the Tokyo Dome on the 12th.
- Taiwanese star Yang Daigang, who announced his retirement this year, has been invited to be the kickoff guest in the first match between Taiwan and Japan.
- This is also the first time in his career that he has served as the kickoff.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Yang Daigang once played for Nippon Ham and Yomiuri Giants, and this year ended his playing career with Oisix Niigata Swan King, a Japanese professional second-division team. He represented Taiwan in the first AFC Champions League in 2017.
The 2026 Asian Professional Baseball Championship will start at the Tokyo Dome on the 12th. The Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) announced today the kick-off guest. The first match between Taiwan and Japan on the 12th will be played by Yang Daigang, who announced his retirement this year. He also said that this will be the first time in his career that he will serve as the kick-off guest.
The Taiwanese team in the AFC Champions League, led by Gao Zhigang, will go to Japan early tomorrow morning to prepare for the game. Their first opponent will be the landlord Japan. It is worth mentioning that Yangdai Steel once represented Taiwan in the first AFC Champions League in 2017 and will now participate in this event again as a kick-off guest.
Yang Daigang once played for Nippon Ham, Yomiuri Giants and other teams. This year, he ended his playing career with Oisix Niigata Swan King, a Japanese professional second-division team. A retirement ceremony was held on September 26. Now that he has been invited to kick off the Taiwan-Japan war, he is also quite touched.
Yang Daigang said: "It is really a great honor to be invited to serve as the kickoff guest in such a grand event. Although I have gone through a long baseball career, this will be the first time I stand on the pitcher's mound as the kickoff guest."
As for the first kickoff of the Taiwan-Japanese War, Yang Daigang said: "This memorable first time happens to be a match between Japan, where I started my professional baseball career, and my hometown, Taiwan. I feel very deeply and very happy. I may be a little nervous that day, but I hope that my encouragement to the young players of the two teams and my gratitude to all baseball fans will be integrated into this ball, and I will throw this ball with all my strength!"
