Baseball: WBC-winning Japan manager Kuriyama honored by Czechs

Hideki Kuriyama, who managed Japan to the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship in March, has accepted an offer to become an honorary ambassador of baseball for the Czech Republic, the nation’s federation announced on social media Thursday.

The Czech national team is hosting the European Championships starting Sunday, and Kuriyama was there to wish them well. Czech manager Pavil Chadim took the opportunity of the visit to ask him to be honorary ambassador.

The Czech team of part-time players won the hearts of many fans at Tokyo Dome, where it competed in the group stage of the nation’s firs...