Action at the Tokyo Olympics starts today as Japan meet Australia in softball, with each team holding vastly different stakes in the sport's return to the Games.
Japan will throw the first pitch in Fukushima, but spectators are banned.
That will be an unusual experience for Japanese players, who hail from a domestic professional league that involves cheerleaders, bands and busloads of employees from corporate sponsors. "Softball is the biggest thing here," says Dallas Escobedo, a pitcher for Mexico who has played in the league since last year. "The fans, the competitiveness is unbelievable."
But the Australians, who rarely compete before more than spouses and children, will not be fazed by 14,300 empty seats.
The difference underscores why winning gold would be more transformative for Australia than any of their five rivals.
Although defending champions Japan face pressure to succeed on home turf, softball's popularity there will not be threatened whatever the result. On the other hand, Australia aim to launch their first league within three years, and proving it has the world's top talent could be vital.
Australia have won silver or bronze on the four occasions the sport has been in the Olympics, but softball participation fell each time despite the medals. Still, they have several sponsors after having none for softball's last Games appearance in 2008.
If Mexico win gold on their softball debut at the Games they could secure long-term government funding.
But players from the United States, Italy and Canada see minimal impact on their budding leagues from taking gold. They primarily want to dazzle Olympic organizers so that softball, ruled out for Paris in 2024, returns in 2028.
Australia's players train ahead of their opener against Japan at the Azuma Baseball Stadium in Fukushima. AP
