Girls Do Sport Too, Government Realizes Belatedly

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: More funds for female athletes - Govt likely to double subsidies after Nadeshiko soccer victory
The government is likely to double the funding for programs to nurture top women athletes in the wake of Japan's victory in the Women's World Cup soccer tournament...Financial support for women athletes is often inferior to that for men. The government has judged that giving greater support to women athletes will help Japan secure more medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and other sports events...The ministry has already boosted support for women athletes this fiscal year by earmarking 250 million yen for them, out of 2.2 billion yen for nurturing top athletes of both genders. It plans to almost double the amount in fiscal 2012, to about 500 million yen....Japan won nine gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, five of which went to women. "Since the lineup of athletes for women's events at the Olympics is relatively thin compared with the men's, supporting women athletes likely will increase the number of medals for Japan," a government official said...more...

The spokesman appears to conclude that because Japan's women recently won more Olympic medals than the men, competition must be relatively weaker. Most serious sports nations realized more than 20 years ago that devoting resources to elite female athletes would yield results so Japan is a bit late to this party.

[matsuki]

Japan is a bit late to this party

Aren't they always? (despite their harakiri 5 min rule )

[legion]

they should cut to the quick and hand over the running of the country to the women, it's their only hope

the Japanese women won the soccer because they are mentally tougher than the men, not because the opposition was weaker