Since January 11, a group of six professional baseball players from the Yomiuri Giants have been training at the Leo Palace Resort in Yona. The six individuals are on Guam for two weeks until January 21. At the same time, five players from two other professional baseball teams - the Chunichi Dragons and the Hanshin Tigers from Korea - are also conducting their training camps from January 13 through the 21st in the Leo Palace Resort. Between January 19 and 28, ten other Giants players will arrive to begin their training. A television crew and other Japanese print media are covering the various groups of baseball players' training activities on Guam.

The expected nationwide media exposure for Guam in Japan is estimated at the equivalent of nearly $19.3million in ad value. Previously in January 2004, the entire Yomiuri Giants team of 65 members comprising players, coaches and managers, came to Guam to conduct their spring training with an entourage of Japanese media. Starting January 18 to 25, Korean professional baseball team, the Samsung Lions, will hold its tryouts at the Leo Palace property. Thirty-nine players from Korea will arrive first for the tryouts from whom ten players are selected to join the main Lions team for their spring training. The Samsung Lions spring training camp will be from January 25 to February 9. GVB assisted the Leo Palace Resort to facilitate some of the players' visa application.

GVB Sports Tourism Committee, chaired by Richard Lai, has also successfully convinced the Japan Football Association to send professional soccer clubs from different parts of Japan to conduct their spring training on Guam. Forty-eight soccer players from Vissel Kobe club have already been on the island since January 5,training at the Leo Palace Resort. The Vissel Kobe team will remain till February 4. Between January 24 to February 17, another five professional soccer teams averaging 47 players per group, will arrive on Guam fortheir spring training activities. The five teams who will be coming to Guam later this month are Trinita Oita(45 pax); Ohmiya Ardija (50 pax); Gamba Osaka (50 pax); Tokyo Verdy (45 pax); and San Frecce Hiroshima (45 pax). The soccer players' presence on the island will generate publicity worth about $154,000 in ad Value by various Japanese press. Lai, who is also the president of the Guam Football Association, says the increase in the number of Japanese professional soccer clubs training on Guam is phenomenal, considering that theSports Tourism Committee was formed only two years ago. �We started out with one soccer team coming toGuam in 2003, then two last year and six this year. That's a 300% increase,� says Lai.Guam

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Coups for GVB Sports Tourism Committee According to Tony Lamorena, GVB's general manager, Governor Felix Camacho has also invited Mr. Saburo Kawabuchi, president of the Japan Football Association, to visit Guam on February 24 and 25 and receive the �Ambassador-at-Large� title in appreciation of his support to send players here. GVB is also actively cultivating the Japan Football League and football association to consider Guam a pre-World Cup 2006 training venue for the Japan national soccer team early next year.� The GVB Sports Tourism Committee mission is to identify, advocate and further develop Guam's sports tourism as a tool for promoting Guam to our visitors and encouraging the development of Guam's local athletes. Having all these different sports teams and athletes from overseas practice here help to enhance Guam's image as a safe sports tourism destination,� says Lamorena.

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For more information: Letitia Law-Byerly Public Information Officer Guam Visitors Bureau Tel: 671-648-1512 Fax: 671-646-8861 Email: llawbyerly@visitguam.org