Judo champion Ono suspended in Tenri Univ abuse scandal
OSAKA —
World judo champion Shohei Ono has been suspended for physically abusing students at Tenri University’s judo club.
University officials told a news conference on Wednesday that Ono, 21, and 11 teammates had been disciplined, Fuji TV reported.
Officials said that Ono and the others had abused first-year teammates on several occasions at a dormitory between May and July, by slapping and kicking them. The university said news of Ono’s involvement in the scandal was revealed via an investigation during which each member of the judo club was interviewed. Ono won the men’s 73-kg title at last month’s world championships in Brazil.
The news follows the announcement last week that Tenri University has halted the activities of its elite judo program while investigating reports of physical abuse. Judo department head Shozo Fujii stepped down earlier this month as a result of the scandal and four fourth-year team members were suspended from school for 30 days from Aug 26.
A university official said that Ono had been warned in May about abusive behavior toward junior students, Fuji TV reported.
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16 Comments
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0
rickyvee
why do japanese athletes believe abuse is an acceptable action? if this was the US, Ono would be charged with a crime. but in japan he's just suspended for a month.
-5
lucabrasi
Why is the US the standard by which all others must be judged?
Moderator
Stay on topic please.
-4
Carolingium
Hazing has been taking place in sports forever, everywhere.
2
wtfjapan
Hazing has been taking place in sports forever, everywhere. doesnt make it right, you may think your tough about beating down on a inferior fighter/wrestler, it not until the family comes at you with bats or worse with a gun that you then realise that your not so tough after all
4
Jessica Marie Sato
I asked my husband and other Japanese men. They told me that they believe this is an acceptable form of training to 'toughin' up the first years. My husband said that when he was in basketball at University, the coach was the same and used physical discipline to get the students in line. I can see why they do this, but at the same time, this can carry over to other parts of you life, where if you don't know how to handle a situation you may lash out physically at others if they don't do something in the way you want them too. This is a form of bullying. It influences others to pick on others who don't raise up to you level.
And I am sorry to say that I find myself witness and at the receiving end of this kind of behavior from many Japanese men and older women because people were taught that this was acceptable while growing up. It doesn't stay as just a competitive factor in sports.
7
spudman
One or two criminal prosecutions and the practice would be severely reduced.
4
Pukey2
Forget about USA for a moment. Had this taken place in any civilized country, he would have been thrown in jail. But of course, here, just a slap on the wrist.
carolingium:
Rape has been taking place forever too. Your point is?
Jessica:
And I hope you also asked them how they felt about the death of that junior sumo wrestler or all those kids who have committed suicide.
-1
TokyoGas
Japanese athletes have been getting beaten by other teammates/coaches for years.
-4
Cos
Olympic spirit.
3
smithinjapan
'Suspended', eh? Not fired. Why am I not surprised?
4
oyatoi
When their athletes are up there on the podium preferably with a gold medal dangling around the neck, then all is forgiven and the training program is praised to the heavens.
6
wtfjapan
@oyatoi yep and with Japanese dismal performances at the olympic with a 130million population, just proves that hazing doesnt produce the desired results, being the best in the world at your discipline
-1
Alvaro Velasquez Theysen
Isn't Judo a combat sport? Is there any problem with MMA? What is the big deal, this is not office work, it is a fight sport!
3
oyatoi
Here, a dismal medal haul is less a cause for soul searching about the role of hazing, than a ready made excuse for redoubling the already severe training regimen and application of gaman discipline.
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