11/07/22 12:43:47.77 soZiUhaf0
Saki Kumagai and Japan Women’s Soccer Team in a Small Scandal
July 22, 2011
The player attended a celebration party with friends from her days at Hosei University,
and after having a bit to drink, began to make inappropriate comments about the team.
One person at the party decided to relay her comments on twitter,
including photos of him and other members holding and biting the gold medal she received.
She was reported to have:
・made disparaging comments about the coach of the team
・said that bullying was rampant and the hierarchical relationships were very strict. She also said that Mana Iwabuchi, being one of the youngest and cutest members of the team was especially troubled by bullying.
・showed, or (allowed to be seen, if the phone was taken without her permission) a locker room photo taken on her iPhone showing teammate Karina Maruyama naked from the waist up
・said that she didn’t even want the gold medal and offered it to anyone who wanted it.
・offered to invite Aya Sameshima to the next party.
・commented that despite being “ugly” Aya Miyama wore perfume on the field.
Taken separately, some people may not feel these are too big a problem or breach of trust, but in the wake of the biggest women in Japanese soccer history, the lack of decorum is not something the Japan Football Association will stand for.
The man who did the twittering of the conversation, Daiki Hashimoto,
was warned by Hosei University to make clear that he does not represent them.
Here is a link to a Japanese page putting all the pieces together including some of the photos from the party that were circulated.
URLﾘﾝｸ(newzjapan.com)