20 October 2014 - The Philippine Consulate General welcomed the Philippine Baseball Team during the team’s visit to Osaka on October 02 for a Friendship Exhibition Practice Drill held in Mikunigaoka High School in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture.

The Consulate General lauded the organizers of the event that fostered good will among the participants and strengthened people-to-people ties between the Philippines and Japan.

The first of its kind, this Friendship Exhibition Drill is a joint project between the Osaka Government Tourism Bureau and Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (Jenesys) 2.0. The said event aimed to promote camaraderie and international understanding between youths from Japan and the rest of the world.

Headed by Coach Francis Candela, Coach Pepe Jose and with the guidance of Ms. Mary Bernardine Tionloc, the International Little League Association of Manila (IILLAM) Team, composed of 20 seasoned high school athletes from the Ateneo de Manila High School, the De La Salle Green Hills and the De La Salle Zobel, shared their skills and talents in the Little League with the renowned baseball team of Mikunigaoka High School.

Recently awarded “Super Global High School” (SGH) status this year after five years of being granted a “Super Science High School” (SSH) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, the Mikunigaoka High School also boasts a winning baseball team well known in the Japanese Junior baseball League.  END