J-League launch anti-crime campaign

The J-League announced a new initiative on Tuesday, to prevent organised crime from gaining influence in Japanese football.

The declaration, made after a meeting with the country’s referee and player associations as well as local and national police officials, came in the wake of scandals that have rocked football.

“J-League has already become a target for sports betting overseas,” league chairman Kazumi Ohigashi said in a statement.

“Fortunately, we have yet to suffer from a major scandal involving organised crime.”

“All of us assembled here today are prepared to lend our strength to prevent such dark influences from infecting Japanese football.”

The announcement comes after strict nationwide anti-yakuza laws, which criminalise dealings with Japan’s infamous crime families, took effect in October.

Yakuza are members of Japanese organised crime syndicates.

The new laws have had wide-ranging consequences; local festivals have updated policies to prevent yakuza from opening food stalls, while film studios have vowed to no longer consult with gangsters to make more ‘realistic’ action movies.

While Japanese football has avoided scandals like those that have tainted the reputation of the Chinese Super League and the K-League, last year’s sumo match-fixing scandal and a series of arrests related to baseball gambling brought new attention to the influence of illegal gambling in the Asian nation.

The declaration includes updates to league by-laws, risk management training for all players, and a list of steps that have already been taken including consultations with FIFA-affiliated Early Warning System GmbH, and the installation of a tip hotline.

In his statement, Ohigashi stressed the league’s intent to continue in its contributions to the positive image of Japanese football.

“(One month ago), the Japanese Football Association (JFA) received the Fifa Fair Play award,” the chairman noted.

“J-League is proud to be a part of Japanese football that has been recognised worldwide as being clean and fair.”