A Japanese karate official will stop after being accused of bullying a champion set to compete on the Tokyo Olympics, he has instructed an area newspaper.
Masao Kagawa, the technical director of the Japan Karatedo Federation, instructed the Nikkan Sports activities every day he was quitting after injuring former world champion Ayumi Uekusa in a coaching drill.
Uekusa says he hit her within the face with a bamboo sword and accuses him of bullying, claiming he steadily shouted at her and admonished her about her non-public life.
The athlete, who will compete within the girls’s over 61kg kumite class as karate makes its Olympic debut this summer time, has lodged a criticism with the federation over the alleged abuse.
Each Uekusa and Kagawa testified earlier than an ethics fee final week, with the federation discovering that she had been left with a bruised eye due to Kagawa’s “very harmful” coaching strategies.
The federation mentioned in a press release that it will resolve on a punishment, however Kagawa has reportedly now knowledgeable them of his intention to stop as technical director and board member.
“I take full accountability,” Kagawa instructed Nikkan Sports activities late Tuesday.
“So as to carry the matter to a detailed shortly, I’m resigning from all my positions on the Japan Karatedo Federation.”
Kagawa admitted utilizing a bamboo sword as a part of Uekusa’s coaching, with the goal of forcing her to dodge his swings and thrusts.
He claimed he by no means got down to injure her deliberately, however took accountability for “a breakdown of belief”.
Uekusa, a world champion in 2016, has accused Kagawa of damaging her shallowness and leaving her unable to coach due to stress.
“Assembly my teacher grew to become so robust, bursting into floods of tears on my method to the dojo grew to become a part of my every day life,” she wrote on her weblog on March 28.
“Coaching was such a stifling surroundings that I suffered psychological stress, and there have been occasions once I couldn’t go to coaching and simply stayed at house.”
It’s the newest “energy harassment” scandal to hit Japanese sport, with the nation’s wrestling federation apologising to four-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho in 2018 over bullying claims.
The Japan Karatedo Federation didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Wednesday.