Japan, judo's homeland, looking at tough battles for Asian Games gold

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(AP)
Updated: 2006-12-02 14:09

DOHA, Qatar _ The Japanese invented it, and they will be expected to take the lion's share of the judo gold at the Asian Games.

So why are team officials so nervous?

Depleted by injury and absences, the Japan judo team may be hard-pressed to hold up the national honor, they say. Instead of its Olympic gold medalists, the team will be relying in many weight classes on younger athletes. And with the level of judo high throughout the region, Japan will have to fight its way through some very tough competition.

"Judo is a contact sport, so injuries are a fact of life," said Noriyuki Ichihara, general manager of Japan's delegation. "But we have a lot of young judo athletes and we are hoping to show off what Japanese judo is all about."

Among the missing judoka will be star athlete Keiji Suzuki in the 100-kilogram category. Fighting for Japan instead will be 19-year-old Satoshi Ishii, the youngest national champion in that division.

Only two of the eight Japanese gold medalists at the Athens Olympics _ Masae Ueno in the women's 70-kilogram division and Ayumi Tanimoto at 63 kilos _ will be competing in the Asian Games judo, which begins Saturday and continues through Tuesday. Ueno is favored to win here. She has lost only once since winning the world title in 2003.

China and South Korea are expected to provide Japan's biggest challenges.

Although Japan won five of the eight men's judo golds at the previous Asian Games in Busan, South Korea four years ago, the Japanese women won only two golds, with China and South Korea taking three apiece.

Japan also had a major disappointment at this year's World Judo Championships. The men managed to finish a lowly fifth, while the women lost in the semifinal to China to take third.

World champion Tong Wen, who tips the scales at 130 kilograms, was a major factor in the Chinese women's silver at the championships, and will be looking to defend her Asian Games gold.

The strong South Korean team will feature Lee Won-hee, in the men's 73-kilogram class. Lee won gold in Athens, and the world championships in 2003. At the 90-kilogram category, South Korea's Hwang Hee-tae, a former world champion, should be a strong contender.

Iran, which won five medals in Busan, could also be a factor.

Iran's Massud Haji-Akhundzadeh won gold in Busan and will be back to defend his title in the 60-kilogram division. Two-time world champion Arash Miresmaeili, in men's 66-kilogram, pulled out of the Athens competition because he refused to fight an opponent from Israel.

Israel doesn't compete in the Asian Games, so he won't have to worry about that here. He may well have to get past Japan's Hiroyuki Akimoto if he wants the gold, however.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan also each took a silver and three bronzes in Busan and, though not seen as favorites for the gold here, are strong medal contenders again.