By Syndicated Content
By Paresh Dave
(Reuters) â Action at the Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to start on Wednesday as Japan meet Australia in softball with each team holding vastly different stakes in the sportâs return to the Games.
With the Olympics getting underway a year late because of the COVID-19 pandemic, hosts Japan will throw the first pitch at 0000 GMT in Fukushima. Spectators are banned.
It will be an unusual scene for Japanese players, who hail from a domestic professional league that involves cheerleaders, bands and busloads of employees from corporate sponsors.
âSoftball is the biggest thing out here. The fans, the competitiveness is unbelievable,â said Dallas Escobedo, a pitcher for Mexico who has played in the league since last year.
Japan, Australia to meet for first event of Tokyo Games
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Japan and Australia softball teams to meet for first event of Tokyo Games
japantimes.co.jp - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from japantimes.co.jp Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Patties Foods gives FourâNâTwenty pies a kick along
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Patties Foods is generating sales growth well above the broader market for its FourâNâTwenty pies brand and aims to accelerate it with a step-up in celebrity partnerships after signing Australian Football League Womenâs star Tayla Harris as an âambassadorâ for the next two years.
FourâNâTwenty already uses Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers National Basketball Association team to spearhead a push in the United States. Mr Simmons, who grew up in Melbourne, has been lauded as one of the best Australian players to have played in the NBA and is an important part of the Philadelphia 76ers team.
PEP pedals hard to recreate glory years: investor update
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The pandemic hasnât slowed deal activity at Australiaâs biggest private equity firm Pacific Equity Partners.
In a rare glimpse into PEPâs thinking, Street Talk has obtained the firmâs âcommercial in confidenceâ March quarter update to investors which gives a full briefing on each of the firmâs portfolio companies and the performance of its funds.
The quarterly update makes it clear PEPâs focus hasnât changed, despite wild swings in economic conditions, unprecedented fiscal stimulus packages in Australia and offshore and expectations that borders could be closed for normal travel purposes for some time yet.