Each sport's governing body has a major role to play in the development and strengthening of athletes. It is essential that these bodies are properly run.
A deliberative council at the Japan Sports Agency is preparing a governance code that will set standards these organizations should follow. The council will submit its report to JSA Commissioner Daichi Suzuki next month.
The code will apply to national federations that preside over sports organizations across Japan such as the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and the Japan Gymnastics Association. Organizations involved in sports for people with disabilities will also be included.
Ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the government is pouring 10 billion yen into programs that will enhance the performance of Japanese athletes. The national federations wield considerable authority on such issues as allocating the budget for development programs and the selection of athletes for national teams. It is quite right to demand that these federations be strictly managed.
In 2018, Japanese sports were rocked by a series of scandals, including power harassment by the Japan Wrestling Federation development director and subsidy misappropriation by the Japan Boxing Federation. The ensuing severe public scrutiny of the sporting world was also one reason behind the formation of a governance code.
A proposal compiled by the deliberative council lays out rules in 13 areas designed to ensure the sound management of governing organizations.
Fresh viewpoints needed
The proposal called for limiting the term of directors to, in principle, no more than 10 years, and also setting restrictions on the age at which they can be appointed. There have been high-profile cases in which leaders with proven track records hold power at governing bodies for lengthy periods and skew the organization's management. Generational change is essential for rejuvenating such organizations.
The proposal also set targets for boards of directors, calling for at least 25 percent of members to be outside directors and at least 40 percent to be women. As the situation stands now, the figure for both categories hovers just above 10 percent. The viewpoints of women and outside directors will be imperative for overhauling the long-standing practices and shattering the closed nature of these organizations.
The proposal also called for establishing clear rules governing the selection of athletes who represent the nation. It included setting up a compliance committee consisting of lawyers, certified public accountants and others. Obeying rules and acting fairly will raise the trust in these organizations.
However, many national federations are supported by volunteers driven by their love for a particular sport and have fragile manpower and financial foundations. Delaying the code's application might be unavoidable out of consideration for the organizations that need to secure human resources and make other preparations.
Increasing the popularity of and promoting each sport through the more appropriate management of its governing body is what matters.
Even today, there is no end to the hazing of athletes by anachronistic coaching that uses abusive language and violence. Some athletes even resort to dishonest methods such as doping.
Governing bodies must stand at the forefront of efforts to ensure proper coaching methods are implemented at training facilities and to thoroughly educate athletes about proper ethics. Steadily building up efforts like these will expand a sport's base and, in turn, lead to the development of Japan's athletes.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 17, 2019)
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
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