Some of the world’s toughest gun-control laws are posing unusual problems at the Tokyo Olympic Games, from the coach who cannot touch a firearm to strict limits on ammunition.
For Goran Maksimovic, the extent of Japan’s restrictions only became clear when he arrived to coach the national team and found he could not lay a finger on a gun, let alone fire one.
“I was very surprised in the beginning,” said the Serb, a 10m air rifle gold medalist at the 1988 Seoul Games.
Photo: AFP
Just 500 people can own an air pistol in Japan, whose history of controlling guns and other weapons dates back hundreds of years.
Japan’s gun laws are among the strictest in the world and annual deaths from firearms in the country of 125 million people are regularly in single figures.
Getting a gun license is a long and complicated process even for Japanese citizens, who must first get a recommendation from a shooting association and then undergo strict police checks.
It is even more difficult for foreigners, with Maksimovic having to use Japanese assistants as intermediaries when he is coaching.
During the Games, coaches are to be allowed to help with “minor repairs,” as long as the athlete is holding the weapon.
The rules have been relaxed so that technical officials can handle firearms and inspect ammunition under International Shooting Sport Federation rules.
Working around local legislation has been a complicated process, National Rifle Association of Japan president Kiichiro Matsumaru said.
“We were involved in negotiations with the police and government so that teams coming here wouldn’t have any complaints,” he said.
Japan has a limit of 800 rounds of ammunition per shooter at any one time, fewer than at previous Olympics and other international competitions.
Organizers had to come up with a “complex plan” to stop competitors from potentially running out of bullets, Tokyo Games shooting sport manager Peter Underhill said.
“This has been introduced specifically for Tokyo, to help mitigate the effects of this particular piece of legislation,” he said.
There will be a few options, including shipping bullets to Japan through a designated contractor, but the rounds must be stored outside the shooting venue and brought in to replenish supplies.
Teams will also be able to buy ammunition at the Olympic shooting range, though they’ll have to settle for whatever is available, which may differ from their usual specifications.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Teng Kai-wei impressed against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday despite an 8-1 loss in the opener of the team’s nine-game road trip. Teng, the only Taiwanese pitcher active in MLB, struck out five while allowing two hits and one walk over four innings at Chase Field to finish with a no decision, as the teams were tied 1-1 when he finished his outing. He surrendered the lone run of his outing in the bottom of the first, which began with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts. Diamondbacks leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo advanced to third on
New Zealand yesterday basked in “amazing” athletics glory after winning two gold medals in as many days at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Geordie Beamish on Monday claimed New Zealand’s first track gold in history with a shock victory in the 3,000m steeplechase, while high jumper Hamish Kerr followed with gold on Tuesday to make it an unprecedented double success for a country much better known for rugby than its prowess in track and field. Before this week, the country had won only six golds in total at the championships. Yesterday morning New Zealand were in the giddy position of fourth on
Rwanda is to take center stage from today as the first African country to host the cycling world championships, in its latest use of sports to improve the country’s reputation. As it prepares for 5,000 cyclists and 20,000 spectators, Rwanda has spruced up its roads, created a network of cycle lanes and run multiple police drills. A poor, landlocked country in east Africa still widely associated with a horrific genocide in 1994, Rwanda has used various sports to revamp its image, attract tourists and impress investors with its organizational efficiency. It has spent lavishly on soccer sponsorship deals with clubs
DOUBLE: Harry Kane has now netted 12 goals in six games, scoring his second hat-trick this season after Bayern’s opening Bundesliga match against Leipzig last month That man again. Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season on Saturday to steer Bayern Munich to a 4-1 win at Hoffenheim for the best Bundesliga start any team has made after four rounds. The England captain scored before the break and converted two penalties after it to take his club tally to 12 goals in six games across all competitions — 13 goals in seven games including the German Supercup. Kane’s other hat-trick was in the Bundesliga-opening 6-0 rout of Leipzig. Bayern’s record of 12 points with a goal difference of 15-plus is the best after four rounds of the Bundesliga
RSS