After two and a half years of nurturing the growth of baseball in Fiji, a sport he calls a vessel for life’s greatest lessons, Coach Ken Tamaki from Okinawa, Japan, departed for home last Friday, 22nd August, leaving behind a legacy of discipline, joy and a community of players forever changed by his mentorship.
Coach Ken Tamaki’s journey in Fiji began with a simple mission: to strengthen the national team and promote a minor sport in a rugby-dominant nation. Arriving from Japan, where baseball is a national obsession, he was immediately struck by the “overwhelming power” and high potential of Fijian athletes. Yet, he noticed a gap between raw talent and game-day performance. His philosophy was never win-oriented. Instead, he focused on a greater goal: developing human resources through baseball.
“My coaching philosophy is to develop a spirit of teamwork, effort, cooperation, discipline and respect,” Tamaki explained. This meant introducing more game-style practices to help players consistently demonstrate their abilities. The initial challenge was significant. “Not many players participated in practice,” he recalled, admitting he once worried baseball might not be a good fit. But through patient, daily practice, he watched as players grasped the rules and became genuinely engaged and interested.
His proudest achievement isn’t a trophy but the introduction of “many children to the joy of baseball.” This joy was crystallised in the fifteen athletes who represented Fiji at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau, earlier this year. “They never gave up and played to the end, even in the toughest of games,” Tamaki said, his pride palpable. “I am very proud of them as athletes representing Fiji.”
His time in Fiji was a profound two-way exchange of culture and values. While he imparted the Japanese spirit of baseball, punctuality and discipline, crucial in a sporting context. He also learned from the Fijian way of life. He admired the local tolerance for time, which he felt was key to living happily and the deep-seated importance of family and friends. “That is fading in Japan,” he noted. “I want to bring this good culture back with me.”
For Tamaki, the Fijian people taught him a vital lesson: “I learnt that doing everything with enjoyment, rather than suffering through it, leads to growth.” This is a value he plans to carry into his future coaching endeavours in Japan, where he hopes to find a job still connected to the sport he loves.
As he packs his bags, his thoughts are on the future of Fijian baseball. He highlights the critical need for a proper-sized dirt field to allow for adequate practice, a fundamental challenge for the sport’s development. His advice for continued growth is to “practice hard every day, increase the number of players and encourage growth through competition within the team.”
While his contract has ended, his connection to Fiji has not. He hopes to return one day, aiming to “create a job that involves Fiji.” His final message is one of boundless optimism for the players and community he leaves behind: “Hopefully in the near future, baseball in Fiji will become a popular sport on par with rugby. We also hope that Fiji will win a match between Japan and Fiji, the world’s top-ranked baseball team.”
The Fiji Islands Baseball and Softball Association’s (FIBSA) Secretary, Inoke Niubalavu said they were grateful to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) continued support over the years in the development of Baseball in Fiji. “FIBSA expresses our sincere gratitude to coach Ken’s invaluable service as a JICA volunteer baseball coach in Fiji for the past two years.”
His dedication to developing baseball skills among the Men’s national team preparation to Palau and our community, schools grassroots program and his passion for the sport have made a significant impact on our Baseball community, he said.
We especially appreciate coach Ken’s contribution to the national team preparation and participation in Palau. Thank you for being such an inspiring ambassador and for your commitment to Fiji as a whole. We wish coach Ken all the best in his future endeavors and hope to see him again in Fiji.