It was revealed on March 19th that actor Shima Tabata will be the Saturday anchor for the Nippon Television sports report program "Going! Sports & News" (every Saturday and Sunday at 11:55 pm).
Tabata-san is currently in the spotlight for her performance as Natsumi Sakuma, the childhood friend of the protagonist in the NHK Asadora drama "Omusubi." She has been a die-hard Yomiuri Giants fan since she was a child, and goes to the stadium to watch games more than 10 times a year.
Tabata said, "When I heard that I had been chosen as the new Saturday caster, I thought, 'No way, me?' and jumped for joy! I love the Giants, so I would like to do my best to convey the charm of the Giants to people of all ages. I would also like to interview the players that I have supported for a long time about their pre-game routines and mental aspects of the game."
She continued, "This is my first time working with MC Ueda (Shinya), but as we're from the same hometown, I'd be happy to have a lot to talk about Kumamoto! This is my first time doing a live broadcast, so I'm very nervous, but I know that my love for sports is second to none, so I'll approach it with confidence!"
