Ayako Rokkaku: Women's Baseball/Baseball5 star becomes IOC Believe in Sport Ambassador

WBSC Athlete Representative Ayako Rokkaku has been named one of 10 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Believe in Sport Ambassadors for the years 2025-2028.

The IOC Believe in Sport Ambassadors promote integrity and fair play within the Olympic Movement by educating athletes and entourage members on competition manipulation and its consequences. They also aim to raise awareness about the threat of competition manipulation and empower athletes to make the right decisions.

Rokkaku, born in 1991, helped Japan win the Women's Baseball World Cups 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. She earned MVP honours at the Women's Baseball World Cup 2010 while she was honoured as the Outstanding Defensive Player at the Women's Baseball World Cup 2012.

A passionate advocate for Baseball5, Rokkaku helped Japan reach consecutive Baseball World Cup Finals in 2022 and 2024 and was named one of two MVPs in the inaugural edition. She was also the best player at the 2025 Japanese Baseball5 Championship and last week hosted some Baseball5 training sessions on the sidelines of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 presented by RAXUS in Okinawa, Japan.

“I’m honoured to join the IOC Believe in Sport campaign as an ambassador," Rokkaku said. "Fair play has always been at the heart of why I play and love this game, and I believe every athlete deserves the chance to compete on a level playing field. I want to use my voice and experience to inspire younger generations to make the right choices and protect the integrity of sport.”

The other Believe in Sport Ambassadors are Mutelita Buadromo (Fiji, Swimming), Jane Claxton (Australia, Field Hockey), Mark Fraser (Canada, Ice Hockey), Esra Gümüş (Turkiye), Kady Kanoute (Mali, Basketball), Yura Min (Korea, Figure Skating), Khotso Mokoena (South Africa, Long Jump), Dominik Windisch (Italy, Biathlon), and Arthur Zanetti (Brazil, Artistic Gymnastics).

All ambassadors underwent a thorough selection process led by the IOC’s Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) in close collaboration with National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Continental Associations of NOCs and International Federations (IFs), ensuring strong representation across sports and regions. They also completed a training workshop at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, to be fully equipped for their new role.

Following the success of the programme at Paris 2024, this is the second time Believe in Sport Ambassadors will support the OM Unit PMC during Games activities as the programme keeps expanding to reach as many athletes as possible.

As part of the campaign, NOCs and IFs also selected a wider group of ambassadors for their activations in the respective country or sport, named the Global Network of PMC Ambassadors.

More information on the Believe in Sport campaign and its Ambassadors programmes can be found here.