"The turmoil far from sports" Chairman Ota of the Federation of Japan Fencing

Yuki Ota, chairman of the Federation of Japan Fencing Association, who was also involved in the bid for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, responded to an interview with NHK about a series of movements over the chairman of the Games Organizing Committee. It's a turmoil. It affects the athletes who are purely involved in the competition and the children who dream of it, and the expectations of the people are lowered. It's a shame. "

As a fencing player, Chairman Ota won a silver medal at two Olympic Games and was also involved in the bid for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

In an independent interview with NHK on the 15th, Mr. Mori, the chairman of the Organizing Committee, announced his resignation in response to a statement that could be regarded as a woman's disdain, and talked about the series of movements regarding the selection of a successor chairman.

In this, Chairman Ota said, "The series of events is a turmoil that is taking place in a place far from sports. It affects athletes who are purely involved in the competition and children who dream of it, and the expectations of the people. We can't find this kind of trend other than disappointing because we all worked together to convey the wonders of sports and the need for a symbiotic society through the Olympics and Paralympics. "

Also, regarding the selection of the new chairman, "In the first place, there is no report on what kind of work the position of chairman will do and what role it will play, and it is easy to replace the story with who will do it immediately. After thinking about the future we want to be, we hope that the chairman will clarify the duties and authority that the chairman will carry, and that the person who fits in it will be selected, rather than deciding on the basis of people, such as being famous or young. ".

On top of that, for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, "The only thing we can do is hope that there will be a tournament, and we can only proceed with the preparations we should do. The players understand. It's a difficult situation. I want to pledge to keep doing what we can do without being swept away by the noise around us. "