Japanese sports equipment maker Asics says it is getting out of the business of baseball gear, as the sport’s popularity declines in the home market.
Asics first got into baseball equipment in 1973.
It has provided spiked shoes, gloves and other items to professional players. But profits have fallen off as the number of players declines in Japan.
The company says it will stop selling baseball gear, other than shoes, from September next year.
Asics says this will allow it to focus on products, such as tennis equipment and running shoes, that have growth potential overseas, the company’s main market.
Asics currently has sponsorship deals with 11 pro baseball players in Japan and the US, including Japanese pitcher Darvish Yu with the San Diego Padres. The company will adjust these arrangements to provide shoes only.