2019 Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 75-89
Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has been attracting attention as a new form of development aid. In response to this trend, some NGO actors in developed countries are beginning to implement sports promotion activities in developing countries. Regarding this trend, this article focuses on examples of Japanese baseball promotion activities in Africa and the resulting sport labor migration, then considers how sport a physical and cultural activity can solve various problems of developing countries.
The cases covered in this paper are cases of baseball players from Africa, who contracted with independent professional leagues which play a role as a training center for upper professional leagues, born as a result of baseball promotion activities by Japanese NGOs. The first case of Zimbabwean player was carried out as a last resort due to promotion activities there had become difficult because of the deterioration of the domestic situation. As a consequence, “professional baseball player through development aid” has become one model case. In some cases, the main purpose is not to provide development aid but to send “professional player”. However, in reality, players in the independent professional leagues earn a little salary. Thus, it is difficult to regard it as aid for economic independence for developing countries through the promotion of sport. And there a suspicion about the self-evaluation of the actor’s side that baseball promotion activities in Africa can help the enlightenment activities.
Baseball promotion activity in Africa is only a means of development aid of providing entertainment. Thus, accepting that limit and seeking the effectiveness such as educational effect through team play is the direction of baseball promotion activity as a part of future SDP.
