GSAstuto
Maximum Pace
- Oct 11, 2009
- 974
- 251
In one of the Japanese Newsletters I get there was a brief mention of a change to the Bicycle Racing Law in Japan. The highlights were / are:
1) Reforming the current grant system.
2) Some kind of protection to the promoter.
3) Reducing limit on the number of races.
Bear in mind - most of the Bicycle Raciong Law applies only to JKA and Keirin races. They make no distinction or even overt mention of Road type racing (Professional or otherwise)
In my opinion - this is where Japan 'went wrong'. By inextricably tieing 'Bike Racing' to 'Keirin' it created an entire culture that was / is locked into Track Gambling with little to no emphasis on the more popular growth of real lifestyle sports such as Road Racing , MTB or other Cycling related sports.
The whole shebang is governed by METI, by the way , under the auspices of JKA. Which is why you see JKA involved in nearly every aspect of sanctioned cycling sports in Japan. Is this good for cycling in general?
Since the government is so highly <in>vested into the gambling sector of cycling, it has little room to navigate other forms of the sport. One hand continually washes the other and the dog wags furiously. Archaic Keirin stadiums are maintained at huge costs and budget slush with actual revenues dropping faster than Cav on the Alp d' Huez. More expenditures are being appropriated to new Keirin Jyo in hopes of 'reviving' the 'sport' - which , in fact, is not 'the sport' at all, but simply a McGuffin Enteprise (gambling) that, quite franky, the younger generation(s) are loathe to participate or partake in.
On the otherhand - cycling in other countries rapidly departed from the Track Gaming model as early as the 1920's. With more and more focus on Road Events and the formation of independent, Professional Teams. We can see the contrast easily today between Japan and other Cycling intensive countries like U.S. , UK, Europe, etc.
I'm going to do some more follow up research on this and see what METI really has on the table as far as Road and other non-JKA associated business.
1) Reforming the current grant system.
2) Some kind of protection to the promoter.
3) Reducing limit on the number of races.
Bear in mind - most of the Bicycle Raciong Law applies only to JKA and Keirin races. They make no distinction or even overt mention of Road type racing (Professional or otherwise)
In my opinion - this is where Japan 'went wrong'. By inextricably tieing 'Bike Racing' to 'Keirin' it created an entire culture that was / is locked into Track Gambling with little to no emphasis on the more popular growth of real lifestyle sports such as Road Racing , MTB or other Cycling related sports.
The whole shebang is governed by METI, by the way , under the auspices of JKA. Which is why you see JKA involved in nearly every aspect of sanctioned cycling sports in Japan. Is this good for cycling in general?
Since the government is so highly <in>vested into the gambling sector of cycling, it has little room to navigate other forms of the sport. One hand continually washes the other and the dog wags furiously. Archaic Keirin stadiums are maintained at huge costs and budget slush with actual revenues dropping faster than Cav on the Alp d' Huez. More expenditures are being appropriated to new Keirin Jyo in hopes of 'reviving' the 'sport' - which , in fact, is not 'the sport' at all, but simply a McGuffin Enteprise (gambling) that, quite franky, the younger generation(s) are loathe to participate or partake in.
On the otherhand - cycling in other countries rapidly departed from the Track Gaming model as early as the 1920's. With more and more focus on Road Events and the formation of independent, Professional Teams. We can see the contrast easily today between Japan and other Cycling intensive countries like U.S. , UK, Europe, etc.
I'm going to do some more follow up research on this and see what METI really has on the table as far as Road and other non-JKA associated business.