Japan Press Weekly

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2021 August 25 - 31 [POLITICS]

JCP Hatano: It's time to reevaluate excessive commercialism in sports

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Hatano Kimie in charge of the JCP Sports Commission, in an online symposium held on August 28 by the sports fans’ JCP Supporters' Association, said that it is necessary to reevaluate excessive dependence on commercialism in sports.

Presenting the JCP sports policy, she said that the JCP calls for an end to ballooning budgets and excessive commercialism in the Olympics and Paralympics, and for the need to provide support to community sports which are currently struggling due to the coronavirus-related restrictions. She added that an improvement in the sports environment is also necessary so that everybody can enjoy sporting activities.

She said, "Sports are a part of human culture. The governments at the national and local levels should maintain grants for community sports, increase public sports facilities, foster sports instructors, and provide people with an opportunity to freely enjoy sports recreation, including outdoor sports." In addition, she said that to eradicate all forms of violence or harassment in the sports world and to create a system to defend fundamental human rights of women and the disabled in sports are also important major points included in the JCP sports policy.

JCP member of the House of Representatives Tamura Takaaki who also participated in the symposium said, "Experiencing an enjoyable and healthy life through participation in sports is a fundamental human right. While the Olympics and Paralympics were forced through in disregard of public opinion, the general public can hardly enjoy sports under the COVID-19 restrictions. In the forthcoming general election, let us oust the government which does not listen to public opinion!"

The JCP Dietmembers' group has continued demanding that the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games be canceled and that the national government focus its energy on coronavirus countermeasures. The group has also made a representation to Education Minister Hagiuda Koichi, demanding that the mobilization of schoolchildren to go to watch the Games be cancelled.

The two JCP Dietmembers criticized Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide for having ignored the opinion of the majority of people who called for the Tokyo 2020 Games cancellation and having forced through the Games without even considering the rescheduling option.

Hatano said, "It is contradictory and illogical for the government to keep going with the world's largest sports festival while imposing self-restraint on non-essential outings on the general public."