Former soccer player Homare Sawa, who captained Japan to the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup title, pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics torch relay one day before the start of the event.
Present and former players of the women's national football team, Nadeshiko Japan, are scheduled to kick off the pre-Games event at the J-Village soccer facility in Fukushima Prefecture on Thursday.
Former Nadeshiko Japan coach Norio Sasaki told a press conference Sawa had decided to pull out due to an ear disorder.
"The players want to do their best for Sawa, standing together tomorrow on the pitch at J Village," Sasaki said.
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