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Highest-ranked female judo master dies at age 99 in San Francisco

February 17, 2013 01:45
By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Keiko Fukuda, the Japanese-born granddaughter of a samurai who learned judo from its founder and became the highest-ranked woman in the martial art, has died at age 99 in San Francisco, her friend and caregiver said on Saturday. Fukuda passed away of natural causes at her home on Feb. 9, said Shelley Fernandez, 82, who lived with Fukuda, helped her run the Soko Joshi Judo Club for women in San Francisco and referred to the woman as her adopted older sister.

Judo: Japan minister calls beatings worst sports crisis

February 5, 2013 03:15
Allegations that the national women's judo coach used a bamboo sword to beat his athletes, including some Olympians, are the "gravest crisis" to hit Japanese sport, the education minister said Tuesday. Former world champion Ryuji Sonoda resigned in humiliation last week after admitting that claims he had physically and emotionally abused 15 of the country's top sportswomen were "more or less true". The explosive claims have rocked a nation accustomed to greatness in judo, and come as Tokyo seeks to persuade Olympic bosses it should be allowed to host the 2020 Games.
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