20 Mar 2013

Claims judo coaches beat female athletes with bamboo

10:00 am on 20 March 2013

Japan has cut funding to its judo federation after an investigation into the alleged physical abuse of female athletes found evidence of serious misconduct by coaches.

Fifteen current and former members of the women's team sent a joint letter of complaint to the Olympic Committee alleging harassment and violence by the head coach and his staff in the build-up to last year's London Games.

The athletes say they had were slapped, shoved and beaten with bamboo.