Hangzhou: Defending champion Taiwan suffered a 3-0 shutout loss to Japan in the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) U-12 Asian Baseball Championship final held in Hangzhou, China, on Saturday. This defeat marks a significant moment in the tournament as Japan managed to seize the championship title. According to Focus Taiwan, despite the loss, Taiwan's second-place finish secured it a berth at the 2027 U-12 Baseball World Cup, which is set to take place in Taipei. Competing under the name Chinese Taipei, Taiwan finished second for the second time, having previously won the tournament in 2018 and 2024. In the final game, Japan capitalized on Taiwan's errors, resulting in all three of Japan's runs. Taiwanese batters had an opportunity with loaded bases in the opening inning, but a lack of timely hitting led to the shutout loss. Despite the defeat, three Taiwanese players received individual awards: Pan Lei for batting average with .714, pitcher Peng Yu-jui for recording two wins, and Chang Yu-chi for driving in 11 runs. Highlighting Japan's triumph, Hiroto Ishii was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament. The final standings from third to eighth place were South Korea, China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Pakistan, and Thailand, respectively.