Gifu Diamond Rivers to establish new team aiming to join Nihonkai League
Quick Look
- The establishment of a new team, the Gifu Diamond Rivers, aiming to join the Nihonkai League (NLB) has been announced.
- President Shota Iida has set the goals of building a team that is loved by the local community and supporting players' dual careers.
- Uniforms and players are expected to be unveiled at the end of the year.
AI-generated summary
In Gifu Prefecture, efforts are underway to establish a team that aims to join the Nihonkai League (NLB), an independent baseball league, starting next season.
President Shota Iida (39) of the team management company, which was launched in April, held a press conference in Gifu City and announced the new team name, ``Gifu Diamond Rivers.'' ``I want to produce stars (players) who will shine like diamonds if polished, and I want to make this a team that is loved by the community,'' he said with enthusiasm.
NLB, which started in 2023, currently has three teams from Ishikawa, Toyama, and Shiga prefectures, and is active mainly in the Hokuriku region. Former Dutch representative from the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and former Lotte player Daiki Iwashita are playing active roles.
The establishment of Gifu's new baseball team is being led by President Iida, who was an active player on corporate and club teams. The aim is to prevent human resources from leaving the prefecture and give dreams and goals to local children. The idea is to adopt a ``dual career system'' for athletes to balance competition and work, which will also lead to the formation of a second career.
The team name was decided by crowdfunding supporters voting from multiple candidates submitted through an open call. At the press conference on the 8th, a logo featuring majestic mountains and a clear stream was also unveiled.
The plan is to select managers, coaches, and other staff members by the fall, and to unveil players and uniforms around the end of the year after league and team tryouts. The training base is said to be in Gifu City or its surrounding areas. [Naoki Irie]
