JAPAN - Following the violence scandal involving a former national women's judo team coach, the sports minister has proposed sports associations each set up organs to provide consultations and receive tips about violent treatment of athletes by coaches.

To minimize the impact of the scandal on Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic, Education, Cultural, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Hakubun Shimomura said at a press conference Tuesday, "It's necessary for Japan to clearly demonstrate it has eliminated violence from the sports world with its own self-cleansing functions."

In the wake of a recent series of scandals involving physical punishments of athletes by coaches, Shimomura described the situation as "the biggest crisis in Japan's sports history."

He asked sports organisations, including those for sports other than judo, to check whether any violence used on athletes had been overlooked under the name of training.

The minister also said coaches must thoroughly adhere to a policy of nonviolence. He also suggested it was important to create systems under which athletes could consult with third parties.

Bill for 3rd-party organ eyed

The Liberal Democratic Party, meanwhile, informed party panels the same day that a bill to enable the establishment of a third-party organ to investigate the women's judo team scandal will be submitted to the Diet, according to party sources.

A lawmaker-sponsored bill is being prepared by a nonpartisan group of lawmakers who deal with sports affairs to revise the law governing the Japan Sport Council to establish the third-party panel.

Amid concerns over the possible impact on Tokyo's bid for the Games, lawmakers plan to take measures before members of the International Olympic Committee's Evaluation Commission visit Japan in March.

A joint meeting of LDP panels--the Research Commission for the Establishment of a Sports-Oriented Nation and the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Division--was also attended by officials of the Japanese Olympic Committee, including Vice President Tomiaki Fukuda. They briefed the meeting on the judo team case, and apologised for their lax response to it.

Fifteen female judoka recently filed a letter of accusation against the former national team coach for the use of physical violence and other inappropriate conduct.