Environment Japan warns of future restrictions on children’s sports

[thomas]

With Japan experiencing unusually high temperatures in early July, growing concern is being voiced over the well-being of millions of schoolchildren engaged in outdoor sports. A recent report has offered a stark warning: if global warming continues unchecked, it could seriously hamper grassroots sports, potentially depriving future generations in Japan of essential physical activity vital for health and development. The study, conducted by the National Institute for Environmental Studies in collaboration with Waseda University in Tokyo, forecasts that by around 2060, summer heat levels could become so extreme that participation in outdoor extracurricular sports may no longer be possible across much of the country.

Preliminary measures include ice baths and shorter matches.

Organisers of school sports competitions are already taking action to protect young athletes, including rules halting or suspending games when temperatures soar, and changing the location or date of tournaments. Other measures include shorter match times, regular drinks breaks, shaded rest areas and even ice baths. Last year the national high school football tournament was moved to Hokkaido – Japan's northernmost prefecture – for girls and to Fukushima, also in the north, for boys. Two years ago, organisers of the Koshien baseball tournament introduced cooling-off periods midway through each match and, last year, divided some of the schedule into morning and late afternoon games to avoid the hottest part of the day. The opening ceremony for next month's tournament will be held in the late afternoon for the first time.

Amid stifling summers Japan warns of future restrictions on children’s sport

As soon as 2060, global heating may send temperatures high enough to stop children in most parts of country from taking part in outdoor summer sports, study shows

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[Lothor]

The Japanese football association is very sensibly switching to the European season (September to May) for its league matches from next year.