Lions Catcher Sumitani Remains Committed to Inspiring Ill Kids

   Tokyo, June 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese professional baseball player Ginjiro Sumitani remains committed to inspiring seriously ill children, with his project of inviting such children and their families to his home games entering the 10th year.
   Sumitani, 36, a catcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Pacific League of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, or NPB, invited 27 people from seven families to the team's home stadium, Belluna Dome in the city of Tokorozawa in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on May 26. He interacted with the invitees, such as taking photographs, before the day's game.
   "I want to do this for as long as possible," he said.
   Elementary school fourth grader Shingo Harada, an invitee, who suffers from congenital disease spina bifida, has difficulties walking. But Harada said, "My dream is to become a baseball player." He said that he was "happy" when Sumitani spoke to him.
   Sumitani began the initiative in 2015, modeling it off a similar project by Lions outfielder Takumi Kuriyama, 40, who has supported children with cancer and kids affected by the March 2011 major earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

(2024/06/25-12:53)

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