Gov't Wants New System For Grooming Sports Stars

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: Sport policy could figure in national strategy
With dreams of producing future generations of Kosuke Kitajimas, Mao Asadas and Ichiro Suzukis, a suprapartisan group of Diet members plans to overhaul a sports law to shift the focus from health to boosting the nation's international sporting prowess, it has been learned. The group, headed by Prime Minister Taro Aso, hopes to make policy on sport part of the national strategy. It plans to submit a bill during the current Diet session that would completely revise the "out of date" Sports Promotion Law and enact a new basic sports law. According to an outline proposal for the bill, the new law would increase Japan's sporting competitiveness through such means as providing financial support for elite athletes. The group also hopes it would lead to the formation of a sports agency that would centralize state administration of sport and boost cooperation with local governments, businesses, sports associations and other bodies. The new law also would set out the duties and obligations of central and local governments...The Sports Promotion Law was enacted in 1961 and contains few stipulations regarding improving sporting competitiveness. Experts have indicated that it is outdated for reasons such as the fact it does not cover professional sports...more...

[Saru Paradise]

I really hope he'll recommend that foreigners start contributing more genes to the Japanese to produce the next generation of Murofushis. That's a government initiative I can get behind (as long as they keep any Japanese female athletes other than Miwa Asao far away from me).

Pop quiz: Ryoko Tani (Judo) or Kyoko Hamaguchi (Wrestling)? The alternative is chemical castration. Pick your poison.