He agreed to speak to Yomiuri Shimbun the newspaper with the world 's biggest circulation at 14 million ) , NHK ( Japan 's national television station ) and Nikkei ( the Japanese equivalent of the Financial Times ) , attended the draw ceremony , the tournament 's welcome party , functions for his sponsors Sony , adidas and Wilson and played in AIG Sunday , a series of exhibition matches named for the tournament sponsor , on the day before the event before in front of 9,455 paying spectators .