Asian Games: Japanese Officials Complain About Biased Judges at Asian Games Judo Tournament

Japanese Officials Complain About Biased Judges at Asian Games Judo Tournament

The Mainichi reports that Japanese Judo officials are angry about some “questionable” judging at the Asian Games’ Judo Tournament (held in China):

Kazuo Yoshimura, the technical director of the All Japan Judo Federation said Tuesday, “I’ve been to many international tournaments, but I have never seen referees as bad as they are at this tournament.”
Fukumi was the aggressor with her mat techniques and leg maneuvers in the final, but the judges decided in favor of her Chinese opponent Wu Shugen 2-1 after three minutes of scoreless overtime.
The local crowd had been chanting “Chongguo jiayou” or “Go China” throughout the match, pressuring the judges while waiting for them to raise the flags.
“What happened in the last match should never happen. Decisions like that will unmotivated athletes,” Yoshimura said, referring to Fukumi’s final.
“The opponent didn’t attempt to deploy a waza at all. Fukumi, on the other hand, tripped her opponent three times and also was aggressive on the mat. How can that be a 2-1 decision?”

The judges also failed to make any calls when a North Korean judo wrestler punched Japan’s Haruki Uemura in the face. Despite getting a black eye, Uemura won the gold medal:

asian games judges let her eye get hurt

Ueno, the newly crowned 63-kg gold medalist, took several blows from her North Korean semifinal opponent Kim Su Gyong on Sunday, prompting Uemura to consider asking the International Judo Federation to review the match.
Kim appeared to punch Ueno, who went on to win, more than once at the start of the bout, leaving her with a badly bruised left eye without structural damage.
It’s obvious she was punched at least three times,” said Uemura, the No. 2 Japanese delegation for the Games said.
Uemura plans to send the IJF replays of the match, accompanied with an image of Ueno’s swollen eye.
“I watched the scene several times, but that was beyond horrible,” Yoshimura said. “We are not in a fight, we are in a judo bout. It’s not possible her eye would be that swollen just from a judo match. It must have been deliberate.”