Summer High School Baseball Tournament Opens
The annual summer high school baseball tournament started on Tuesday at Koshien Stadium in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.
The usually annual event opened for the first time in two years, following last year's cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The national championship includes 49 teams. Players wore masks during the opening ceremony. The usual march of the players was simplified as a measure against infections.
Kinoshita Nio, captain of the team from Komatsu Otani High School in Ishikawa Prefecture, took the oath on behalf of all the players.
He pledged that all the participants would play to the best of their abilities to remind people that striving for a dream is a wonderful thing.
Amid the rise of coronavirus cases in Japan, general spectators will not be allowed in the stadium with attendance restricted to people related to the schools. Individuals involved in the management of the teams will take PCR tests up to three times.
The tournament will run for 17 days, including days off, with the final scheduled for August 26.