Top Japanese fighter retires to support comatose boxer brother
Former WBC strawweight champion Yudai Shigeoka's brother Ginjiro collapsed after a fight in Osaka three months ago and underwent emergency brain surgery.
The 25-year-old remains in a coma but is no longer in a life-threatening condition, the Japan Boxing Commission says.
Ginjiro, a former IBF champion at the same weight who has a professional win-loss record of 11-2, was recently transferred to another hospital.
"I encourage him every day, telling him not to give up and to do his best, so that the flame in his heart does not go out," Yudai, 28, said in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
"I believe it is my role as his older brother to enrich his life from now on."
"Plans are progressing steadily. That is why I have decided to retire. I have no regrets. The real challenge begins from here on out," added Yudai, who has a 9-2 record.
Japanese boxing is under the spotlight after super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, died days after injuries they sustained in separate bouts in Tokyo on Aug 2.
Japanese boxing officials held an emergency meeting this week and vowed to introduce new safety rules.
New measures to be implemented as soon as possible include urine tests for measuring dehydration and stricter rules on boxers' rapid weight loss, said Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary-general of the JBC.
Ambulances will also be required on site, even for non-world championship bouts, something which is common practice in some other countries. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Familiar foes and faces for Selangor in tough AFC Champions League 2 group
PETALING JAYA: Selangor's AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) campaign will have a distinctly South-East Asian flavour and the Red Giants know they are in for a big fight. Drawn into Group G, Selangor will face Indonesian Liga Satu champions Persib Bandung, Singapore Premier League winners and last season's ACL2 runners-up Lions City Sailors, and Thai League contenders Bangkok United. For coach Katsuhito Kinoshi, the group presents both challenges and opportunities. "Our opponents are close to our country, so in terms of travel and conditioning, it's ideal," said the Japanese tactician. "All three teams have history, so we must be in good shape. It doesn't matter who the opponent is – what matters is who we are and how we play. We want to win every game, take it match by match, and reach the knockout stages." There will be familiar faces across the pitch. Persib coach Bojan Hodak has squared off against Selangor countless times during his spells in Malaysia, while his Argentinian playmaker Luciano Guaycochea captained Perak and has faced the Klang Valley side before. The reunion extends to Safuwan Baharuddin, Selangor's former skipper, who will line up for Lions City Sailors while on loan from the Red Giants. And Kinoshi is already wary of the Singaporean champions' marquee striker Anderson Lopes, the J1 League's top scorer last season. "I've watched him many times - he's a quality player. If a club have someone like that, it shows they're serious about reaching the next stage," Kinoshi added. Last season, Selangor fell short in the group stage, as Jeonbuk Hyundai and Muangthong United advanced. This year, they aim to write a different story. Meanwhile, Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) have been drawn into one of the toughest groups in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 East Zone League Stage. The Southern Tigers will welcome Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua from China, Japanese powerhouse Vissel Kobe, and J-League surprise package Machida Zelvia to the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri. Their away fixtures will be equally testing, with trips to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan, Chengdu Rongcheng in China, Thai champions Buriram United, and A-League side Melbourne City.
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Rugby-Proud All Black Kirifi keen to sink teeth into Argentina
(Reuters) -Late-blooming flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi is glad the fuss over his test debut is receding in the background so he can focus on cementing his spot in New Zealand's back row in the Rugby Championship. The Hurricanes hard-man soaked up his first All Blacks minutes off the bench against France in Dunedin last month and finished the series with a full match in Hamilton as a late replacement for the starting openside Luke Jacobson. He has retained the All Blacks' number seven jersey for the first test against Argentina in Cordoba on Saturday, beating out a raft of quality loose forwards, including Samipeni Finau, who was named in the reserves. "It's obviously another proud moment, officially being named to start for the first time," Kirifi told reporters in a video call on Friday. "But I'm kind of glad that the first couple of tests are over and all the noise around me becoming an All Black is behind me. "Now I can just focus on training hard and playing well." Named after former South Africa captain Morne du Plessis by a rugby-loving dad, 28-year-old Kirifi has waited a long time for his moment in test rugby. Five years ago he was called up to Ian Foster's All Blacks squad as injury cover but he never got to pull on a jersey. Current coach Scott Robertson also gave him a call-up during the Northern Hemisphere tour last year, but he missed out on selection again. While processing the disappointment, Kirifi flirted with a move overseas to take up a "juicy deal" with a Japanese club which would have meant shelving his test rugby ambitions. Instead, he re-signed with the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby in March after his father urged him to give the All Blacks one more crack. Little wonder there were warm cheers when Kirifi took the field in Dunedin and finished his victorious All Blacks debut with a blood-soaked collar from a cut to his ear. Kirifi said post-match he would give the jersey, unwashed, to his father to hang in the hallway of the family home. Starting alongside enforcer Ardie Savea on Saturday, Kirifi will be ready to spill more blood for New Zealand against a ferocious Argentina back row featuring Marcos Kremer and Pablo Matera. "We're pretty aware of the challenge that's in front of us and the environment that we're walking into over the next couple of weeks," he said. "We're really looking forward to sinking our teeth into some pretty solid opposition." (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Borneo Post
15 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Can combat sports curb bullying in schools?
Two young judo students sparring at a 'dojo' (gym) in Kuching. — Photo by Alvin Lau RECENTLY, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh proposed for the Education Ministry to discuss with the National Combat Sport Federation to find a solution to bullying in schools. She believed that this could potentially tackle the root cause of aggressive behaviour through proper guidance and giving opportunities for students to channel their energy and aggression through structured activities such as combat sports, which could be more effective than punitive action such as suspension. Combat sports evolved from martial arts through omitting dangerous techniques, which could seriously injure opponents, and emphasising restraint – making it possible for practitioners to spar and compete in regulated matches with specific rules and scoring system. Judo, which is taught in Japanese schools, where some make it part of their compulsory curriculum, is the first combat sport to be introduced in the education system. In 1882, Dr Jigoro Kano who studied jujitsu and various styles of traditional Japanese martial arts, introduced judo by transforming jujitsu into safe, modern, scientific and competitive system. In 1964, judo was officially recognised as a sport by the International Olympic Council and included in the Olympic Games held in Tokyo that year, paving the way for other martial arts like wushu, silat, karate and taekwondo to be developed as sports and included in international sports competitions. A strict code of conduct is integrated in combat sports emphasising self-control, respect for others, and discipline. A well-structured, ethically-grounded, and properly-resourced programme could make combat sports a valuable tool in the fight against bullying. However, introducing combat sports in schools is a complex proposal and there are risks and challenges that the Education Department and school administration have to take into account. It can offer both positive and negative outcomes, depending on how the programme is designed, implemented and supervised. On the positive side, students who take up combat sports can build up confidence and self-esteem, reducing their vulnerability. For students with aggressive tendencies, combat sports provide a structured and controlled outlet for energy and frustration, which can reduce violent incidents during unsupervised situations like recess or after-school. Combat sports often involve sparring with partners, or working in teams. This builds mutual trust, empathy, and friendship – counteracting the isolation that fuels bullying. During sparring sessions, students learn to manage their emotions better under pressure – a critical life skill that may prevent impulsive aggression or retaliation. Coaches or instructors can identify students who may be struggling emotionally, or showing signs of violence, through observation during training, and intervene early. To achieve these positive results, mandatory codes of conduct and lessons on respect must be integrated in combat sports, and training must be carried out under strict supervision by qualified and properly-trained coaches certified by a martial art organisation. If teaching of combat sports in schools is not properly supervised under certified instructors, students might potentially glorify violence and view combat training as a licence to use violence outside the ring, escalating rather than reducing bullying. They may use what they have learned to intimidate or hurt others, especially if ethical or moral component is not emphasised in the training. Those with behavioural issues or poor impulse control might become more dangerous if their aggression is not properly controlled. Although restrictions and control are emphasised in combat sports, even under supervision, combat sports carry a risk of injury. There are also practical concerns as implementing such programmes requires trained coaches, protective gear, insurance, and constant oversight – resources that many schools may not have. Combat sports should be offered as an elective rather than a mandatory component of physical education as it is not everyone's cup of tea, and some parents might object to their children taking it up. Students who do not want to participate or who are fearful of combat sports might feel excluded or intimidated by those who do. Hannah Yeoh's proposal is not new – sports like taekwondo, wushu, silat, and judo are already present in some schools. The Education Department and the National Combat Sport Federation should carry out a comprehensive study on the impact of taking up combat sports on current and former students before taking the next step.
