Japan baseball fans leap into river as 'Curse of the Colonel' lifted

A Hanshin Tigers supporter jumps into the Dotonbori River in downtown Osaka following the Tigers victory in the Nippon Series baseball championship for the first time in 38 years, after beating the Orix Buffaloes 7-1 in Game 7 of the best-of-seven series in Osaka on Nov 5, 2023. - AFP

OSAKA: Dozens of baseball fans in Osaka hurled themselves into a filthy city-centre river and partied long into the night after the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Series for only the second time in their history.

The country's most passionately-supported team beat the Orix Buffaloes in the final game of the best-of-seven series late on Sunday (Nov 6) night to win the title for the first time since 1985.