Guam Hosts Pro Athletes for Winter Training

 

The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) is pleased to welcome back professional athletic teams who come to Guam from Asia for winter and spring training. On January 11, 2025, the Yomiuri Giants’ outfielder Hisayoshi Chono and shortstop Hayato Sakamoto along with several coaches held a meet & greet with Guam fans at the Okkodo High School baseball field during their training in Guam. Also in Guam for training was Korean professional baseball player Sehyeok Park, a free agent most recently having played for the NC Dinos of Changwon City, South Korea. Today, GVB will welcome the Samsung Lions from Daegu, Korea back to Guam for winter training.

Guam has been a favored overseas venue for professional teams and athletes since the early 2000s. In addition to pro baseball teams Yomiuri Giants and Samsung Lions, South Korea’s Kia Tigers and Lotte Giants have also held training in Guam in past years. Professional teams had ceased utilizing Guam’s fair weather and private sports facilities during the pandemic and subsequent Typhoon Mawar, which caused damage and overgrowth of training facilities.

Local fans gather for a photo with professional baseball players from Japan and South Korea on January 11 at Okkodo baseball field.

Last year, Guam saw the return of pro teams with the Lotte Giants, who – like most pro teams – held a training clinic for Guam’s youth. This year, the Yomiuri Giants’ Chono and Sakamoto as well as star athletes Park and Shinnosuke Abe, who come to Guam for private training getaways, started off a series of training in Guam.

(L-R) Yomiuri Giants shortstop Hayato Sakamoto, former NC Dinos catcher Sehyeok Park, and Giants outfielder Hisayoshi Chono warm up at Okkodo baseball field.

“Guam has the unique opportunity to host professional and international teams for a variety of sports.”

“With our year-round warm weather and the community’s help in upkeeping our fields, courts, beaches and ocean, we can continue to attract athletes to train and compete here, which builds sports tourism for Guam and helps our local athletes to grow. We welcome our friends from the Yomiuri Giants and the Samsung Lions and thank them for choosing Guam again,” Acting President & CEO Dr. Gerry Perez has said.

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The Lions will be in Guam from January 22 to February 4, bringing a conglomerate of 60 people to conduct training at Paseo stadium. A special Guam tour package, courtesy of Benefit Tours, is being offered to the team’s fans to encourage them to visit Guam. As with other visiting teams, GVB will provide assistance and promotional support to highlight Guam and the strong sports partnerships we have within the Pacific region.

Tags: Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB)