Children's baseball event starts in Tokyo

An international children's baseball event has started in Tokyo as a prelude to next year's World Children's Baseball Fair.

Young players from Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Germany, Taiwan and Japan are taking part in the friendship event organized by the World Children's Baseball Foundation in Tokyo.

In the opening ceremony on Wednesday, the foundation chief, Sadaru Oh, said he wants to help children have good memories of playing baseball.

Oh, who holds the world record for home runs in a top league, was the manager of the Japanese national team that won the first World Baseball Classic tournament in 2006.

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara was in the batter's box when Choji Murata, a former leading pitcher of Japan's Pacific League team, the Lotte Lions, threw the ceremonial first ball. The governor swung at the ball and missed despite his promise to hit a home run.

Girls' teams from Tokyo's Adachi Ward and Canada met for the day's first game before a cheering crowd of spectators.

More than 20 countries are to take part in the World Children's Baseball Fair scheduled for July 2010 in Tokyo.