Sports

Generally when it comes to fraud, its perpetrators don’t lack imagination. So it probably won’t surprise anyone to hear that a golfing hole-in-one swindle has recently been uncovered in Kumamoto Prefecture. And whilst the amount of money in question isn’t that huge, for a few pleasant and relaxing rounds of golf, 1.5 million yen (7,500 pounds) isn’t a bad haul.

As a bit of background information, it’s not uncommon for Japanese golfers to take out insurance. With good reason too, because in the event of nailing a hole-in-one or an albatross, the (un)lucky golfer is expected to buy their fellow playing partners expensive memorial gifts. With the emphasis placed very much on expensive.

It was this golf insurance that gave Messrs. Fujimto and Shigaki the idea for their great golfing scam. In August 2002, being a good friend and all that, Shigaki kindly dropped Fujimoto’s ball in the hole while an accompanying couple and the group’s caddy were looking for a ball. This generous gesture went down as a hole-in-one on Fujimoto’s card, and netted the pair a cool 750,000 Yen. Easy money it has to be said.

Fujimoto celebrating another hole-in-one last week

But the police suspect that this wasn’t the pair’s first foray into golfing no good. As in June 2000, Shigaki is alleged to have hit a decidedly wayward shot and led the all too trusting caddie away with him to search for it. In the meantime, his sidekick Fujimoto picked up his own ball and casually dropped it into the hole. Which on the return of the caddie he claimed as an unprecedented albatross. A shot that netted another 750,000 yen.

How the police will eventually prove all this I don’t know, but I suspect the two men aren’t the first to adopt such a carefree approach to the rules of golf. After shooting a mind boggling 34 on his first ever round of golf, I suspect that the diminutive Kim Jong-Il might just have adjusted his own score card in a similar manner. Either that or beneath the famous bouffant and jumpsuit lies a sporting talent of the kind the world has never seen before.

“I’ll continue as coach until 2006 and then I will call it a day”National football team coach Zico at a press conference last week

The once mercurial Brazilian also went on to say that he had no interest in managing a J-League team or (wait for it) the Brazilian national team after he steps down as Japan coach.

Now there is no way I’m going to criticize Zico the player. Nor can I fail to mention the interest he generated in the J-league when he came out of retirement to play here. But as national team coach his record is dismal (despite a good win last week against the Czech Republic), and the improving and confident Japanese team of the last World Cup is now a shambling, directionless wreck.

These recent comments by the once legendary player show a disturbing degree of arrogance and self denial. The fact that he expects to be offered any managerial position after his stint as the national team coach ends is laughable, but to even mention the position of Brazil manager is nothing short of ludicrous!

I guess this arrogance was apparent when Zico accepted the job in the first place. With next to no managerial experience, he was hardly the ideal candidate. Although I have to admit that the JFA deserves as much blame for offering him the job in the first place. What was going on there (with both parties) is anybodies guess, but results have shown the error of their ways.

For football to maintain a strong following in Japan, I feel it’s important for the national team to do well. Sadly with Zico at the helm, I just can’t see this happening. And with a relatively easy qualifying route to Germany 2006 now looking like a real challenge, the heat is on.

He may prove me wrong. And for the sake of Japanese football I sincerely hope he does. But there are going to have to be some changes. Major ones.

Next!

The picture above was surreptitiously taken at a secret training session. Hence the rather poor quality. Now I could make a comment about the team, players, and fans getting royally shafted, but I’ll refrain from such base humour.