Seibu Lions sign Indian pitcher Akshay More as first NPB player from India
The Saitama Seibu Lions announced a developmental contract with 22‑year‑old Indian right‑hander Akshay More, making him the first player from India to join a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) club. More stands 194 cm tall, throws a fastball reaching 150 km/h and possesses a range of secondary pitches. He will wear jersey number 146 and previously played in the Baseball United league in the Middle‑East and South‑Asia region. The signing is part of the Lions’ overseas strategy launched in November 2025 to discover and develop talent abroad and strengthen the team’s competitiveness.
Entities: Agricultural and Forestry Central Bank · Akshay More · Baseball United · F-35B stealth fighter · Insetting Consortium · Japan · Japan Air Self-Defense Force · Japan Ministry of Finance · Japanese Government · Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan) · Miyazaki Prefecture · Newtahara Air Base
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Growth‑related spending requests from ministries have no upper limit. (Japan Ministry of Finance)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Fiscal discipline may be challenged by unlimited spending requests. (Japan Ministry of Finance)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Japan's Ministry of Finance said the fiscal 2027 budget drafting will be difficult. (Japan Ministry of Finance)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The lawsuit seeks an injunction on night and early‑morning flights and damages from the government. (cfced216-6017-4aff-93bd-9328c45794d5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Eight F‑35B aircraft have been deployed at Newtahara Base, with a plan to reach a total of 42. (cfced216-6017-4aff-93bd-9328c45794d5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A first lawsuit was filed in 2017 with fewer plaintiffs and did not obtain an injunction on night/early flights. (cfced216-6017-4aff-93bd-9328c45794d5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Vertical landing training of F‑35B jets increases noise levels around the base. (cfced216-6017-4aff-93bd-9328c45794d5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 371 residents filed a second lawsuit against the Japanese government over noise from F‑35B jets at Newtahara Air Base. (cfced216-6017-4aff-93bd-9328c45794d5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More previously played in the Baseball United league in the Middle‑East and South‑Asia region. (article 00f08a95-de79-49b9-b0c7-1d10543b54a5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Akshay More is 194 cm tall and throws a fastball that reaches 150 km/h. (article 00f08a95-de79-49b9-b0c7-1d10543b54a5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Seibu Lions signed Indian pitcher Akshay More to a developmental contract. (article 00f08a95-de79-49b9-b0c7-1d10543b54a5)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Akshay More will wear jersey number 146 for the Seibu Lions. (article 00f08a95-de79-49b9-b0c7-1d10543b54a5)