3 days ago
Hiroshima team accused of abuse leaves Koshien baseball tourney
The National High School Baseball Championship opened at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Aug. 5. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo Prefecture—Koryo High School from Hiroshima withdrew from the 107th National High School Baseball Championship following criticism and threats on social media concerning reported acts of violence committed by players and staff members.
The announcement on Aug. 10 made Koryo the first school to pull out midway through the annual summer tournament, aside from cases during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The tournament headquarters accepted Koryo's withdrawal.
The popular and much-watched tournament at Hanshin Koshien Stadium is sponsored by The Asahi Shimbun Co. and the Japan High School Baseball Federation.
Tsuda Gakuen Senior High School, representing Mie Prefecture, was given a default win over Koryo in their game scheduled for Aug. 14.
Koryo won its first-round game over Asahikawa Shiho High School, representing northern Hokkaido, on Aug. 7.
In March, the Japan High School Baseball Federation issued a stern warning to Koryo over an incident of violence without disclosing details.
The school said Aug. 6 that a first-year team member was slapped on the cheek and chest and grabbed by the collar by his seniors in January.
Details of the incident, some not officially confirmed by the school, had spread on social media before the tournament opened.
Separately, allegations surfaced online on Aug. 7 that a team member had suffered physical and verbal abuse from the manager, coach and other players in 2023.
A third-party committee established by the school is currently investigating the case.
'We take this situation very seriously,' Masakazu Hori, Koryo's principal, told reporters in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Aug. 10. 'Having withdrawn from the tournament, we will promptly carry out a fundamental review of our coaching system.'
He said Tetsuyuki Nakai, manager of the baseball team, will be suspended from his coaching duties while the school investigates the team's management system and environment.
As for reasons for the withdrawal, Hori cited significant disruption to the tournament's operation caused by defamatory social media posts, as well as damage to the 'honor and trust of high school baseball.'
Saying that a bomb threat had been posted online targeting the school's dormitory, the principal emphasized that the school has given top priority to protecting the lives of students, faculty and staff, and members of the local community.
