Sports: The power of society, powered by the support of fans
The corporate philosophy of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters is that of a "sports community." The team aims to create a society where sports and life are considered a pair. Toshiaki Sakai’s job is to use the power of the team, as a professional baseball team organization to which he belongs, to contribute to 179 municipalities in Hokkaido and to create "sports communities" within them. As part of this effort, the team sends players as support ambassadors to about 18 municipalities every year. By doing so, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters send this message: "We will support your town!"
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such projects have not been able to move forward as planned this year. Also, professional baseball games have been postponed. Sakai relates, "I felt a sense of difficulty or lack of power, a feeling that there is nothing that we can do in such a state of emergency. When looking at the history, Koshien (i.e., the National High School Baseball Championships) and professional baseball games were canceled during the war years. I realize that peaceful times have allowed us to do what we needed to do."
On the other hand, the team plays a role in soothing people's hearts and minds during this time of heightened anxiety. "I realized this role when we received fan messages at the time when professional baseball games resumed. Many fans said that 'normal life had returned!'"
"Sports have the power to unite people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our players and staff once again have been reminded that the power of sports is attributable to everyone that supports us. With our appreciation for such support in mind, I would like to work everyday side-by-side with our supporters, so that they can rejoice and cry together for every win or loss. I would also like to use the power of sports to revitalize local economies."
Note: This interview was originally published in the 107th issue of SUN.
