- Human Rights Watch, the well-known human rights observer, has presented a tough report in which all eyes are placed in the host country of the Olympic Games. According to the report, physical sanctions, ill-treatment, abuse and sexual abuse are a widespread trend in sports training for Japanese children and young people.
“We have heard beatings, slap, use of bats and the like, not giving enough water and food, excessive workouts, which lead the body to the end, sexual abuse… in testimonies of children and adolescents from 50 sports modalities,” said the human rights NGO.
In 2020, for example, 46% of the interviewees under the age of 24 reported having suffered abuses in training, “and many end up suffering severe depression and trauma”.
Killed at the hands of the coach
Another significant example: From 1983 to the present, 121 children have died at the hands of the trainer while practicing Judo, i.e. 9 boys and girls per year.
Janponia is a great sport promotion, but many parents and coaches think that the way to train children in sport is to do it physically hard, according to the organization. He has also criticized that the institutions "look away".
Human Rihgts Watch has called for the creation of a Safe Sport Centre to protect athletic boys and girls.