Amendment to Bicycle Racing Law

[GSAstuto]

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.

 

[FarEast]

Sorry TIm but you are mistaken the JCF is not part of JKA and answers directly to the UCI and must conform to the rulings and regulations of the UCI and Oylimpic Comittee.

Also track racing here in Japan inculding official track races such as the Oylimpic Keirin, Madison, Pursuit etc fall under the JCF. (Keirin that is bet on at tracks such as Kawasaki etc have slightly different rules and regulations and is not regarded as the same sport as UCI keirin or Oylmpic Keirin and thus full under the JKA) - One of the reasons why Sir Chris Hoy has never come out here and the same reason the Velodrome at Izu was built.

Yes the JKA helps fund the JCF because as you can imagine it has a deep pocket to support other events in Japan, but you shouldn't confuse that they have an actual say in how things are run within the JCF...... you should attne one of the JCF meetings and you can ask them yourself

To prove the point, notice the serious lack of Japanese bikes, equipment and other nonsense laid out by the JKA:

 

[GSAstuto]

Actually the JKA / USOC / UCI is a bit more incestous than that. In fact, the only reason Keirin, per se, is in the Olympics (and UCI Track) as a sport is because the JKA bribed (and they accepted). Not that I really care - but as you said - well, more or less, it's all about the Golden Rule. 'He Who Has The Gold, Makes The Rules'. I'd just like to see a little less coming from the JKA and their collusion with METI and a little more coming from the commercial sector, allowing the other disciplines of cycling to spread their wings a bit without getting their pinkies chopped.

 

[FarEast]

Actually the JKA / USOC / UCI is a bit more incestous than that. In fact, the only reason Keirin, per se, is in the Olympics (and UCI Track) as a sport is because the JKA bribed (and they accepted). Not that I really care - but as you said - well, more or less, it's all about the Golden Rule. 'He Who Has The Gold, Makes The Rules'. I'd just like to see a little less coming from the JKA and their collusion with METI and a little more coming from the commercial sector, allowing the other disciplines of cycling to spread their wings a bit without getting their pinkies chopped.

Keirin was admitted into the Olympics in December 1996.[A BBC News investigation, reported in July 2008, found evidence that following the sport's admission into the Olympics, the Union Cycliste Internationale required (in writing) that the Japan Keirin Association support UCI projects in "material terms"; over a period of time the association subsequently gave three million dollars to UCI in consideration of "the excellent relationship the UCI has with representatives of the Olympic movement." Four members of the governing body were subsequently arrested in Tokyo.

Hmm not sure it was a bribe as it was in writing and all above board, BMX and MTB when brought in to the Olympics also had to support UCI projects again the request was in writting - The 3 members were arrested due to the dubious nature of how the JKA came about the money and the pretense of that it was used to influence its admitance in to the the Olympics.

However many have argued that getting the Keirin in to the Olympic program was a stroke of brilliance as it is one of the most exciting and complex of the disciplines of track racing and apart from the Madison has one of the largest audiences - majority oof which is not Japanese.