EDITORIAL: Promotion of sports

What's in store for Japanese sports? As if to answer this question, the sports ministry recently announced its strategy for the promotion of sports over the next 10 years or so.

The centerpiece of the policy effort is the creation of comprehensive, community-oriented sports clubs that allow people in all walks of life, from children to adults, to enjoy a wide range of sports.

The ministry envisions a society in which people everywhere engage in some physical activity throughout their lives. Clubs would be set up around the country with retired athletes serving as instructors. It has also set an ambitious goal for Japan's performance in the Olympics: Breaking its past medal records--37 for the Summer Games and 10 for the Winter Games.

We support the government's efforts to expand the role of sports in people's lives while enhancing the development of competitive athletes.

The previous coalition government of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito also explored ways to make Japan a stronger sports power, but the focus was on raising the level of top athletes.

The new strategy is designed to promote both community and competitive sports. Under this strategy, local sports clubs will play the leading role in cooperative efforts by the two sectors to create an environment where people have more opportunities to take part in sports activities and more competitive athletes are produced. The idea is to foster the "new public sector" proposed by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan in the area of sports.

But putting this strategy into practice will not be easy.

Traditionally, sports activities have been supported by schools and businesses. But school sports club activities are in decline as the number of children is falling and the population of teachers is aging. Many companies, citing tough economic conditions, are closing their sports clubs.

The community sports clubs that should serve as the basis for the new strategy were actually proposed in the basic plan for sports promotion crafted by the government 10 years ago. The plan had called for establishing at least one such club in every municipality by the current fiscal year.

Slightly more than 60 percent of the nation's cities, towns and villages either have established or are preparing to create such clubs. There are now slightly less than 3,000 community sports clubs. Many of them are facing financing difficulty and/or a shortage of members.

Under the new strategy, these clubs will train people who can lead local communities' efforts to promote sports and help local schools with physical education classes and sports club activities.

The idea has much potential and merit. But since there is no clear plan to finance the program, some clubs are voicing concern that the strategy could turn out to be meaningless unless the central government subsidizes the necessary personnel expenses.

It's time to approach the problem from a new angle. To begin with, setting up a system to promote sports at the grass-roots level is not something that should be provided by the government.

Initiatives of sports-loving citizens should be the main driving force behind the development of such a system. Such an approach is in line with the concept of a new public sector.

Under this approach, local residents should initiate debate on the future of sports in their communities. This ought to be in line with the government's vision, which calls for collaboration between community-based sports and physical education and club activities at local schools. Local governments should also offer ideas. This would help enrich the sports culture and bring new life to local communities.

The new strategy should prompt a new dialogue among people about the development of a new sports culture in their communities.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 30