Skip to main content

Beppu-Oita Marathon to Review Staff Training After Interpreter Refers to African Athletes as "Chimpanzees"

On Feb. 14 the organizers of the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon confirmed that a local woman in her fifties who served as an interpreter at this year's race had published a blog post in which she referred to the African athletes on whose behalf she had worked as "chimpanzees." The woman said she had no malicious or racist intent behind her comments, but a spokesperson for the organizers called her choice of words "inappropriate." Organizers plan to review their training and guidance procedures for all race management staff members.

The Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon took place in the two cities on Feb. 3. According to the spokesperson, the blog to which the woman posted the comments is for members of a sports club to which she belongs to report on what they have been doing. On Feb. 10 she wrote about her work with the African athletes, posting it with public access so that anyone could read it. She described the struggle of talking to the African athletes, saying it gave her "the sense that [she] was communicating with primitive people" who, "like chimpanzees, were shy at the beginning but gradually opened their hearts." She included photos of herself with several African athletes to illustrate the story, describing them in the captions as "cute chimpanzees."

The blog is currently closed.

The woman joined the race management team after being introduced to them by competition officials.  This year was her second time working as an interpreter for them. She has been working as an interpreter for foreign athletes at the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon for over ten years. Questioned by reporters she said, "I was only trying to convey the sense that it was difficult to communicate. I am not a racist. I should have thought more carefully about the choice of words. I am sorry."

Race committee secretary general and Beppu deputy mayor Hisakazu Anan, 63, commented, "We received reports about the situation from outside sources and confirmed their veracity. It is very unfortunate that such a thing has occurred in conjunction with an historic event such as ours. We apologize to anyone who read the blog in question and was offended."

source article:
https://www.oita-press.co.jp/1010000000/2019/02/15/JD0057786940
translated by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
No matter what she says, she is absolutely (or unconsciously)a racist. What offends me most is that she behaves like 'an innocent goodwill volunteer translator. Most probably she is an English teacher at a high school because there are not many English speaker who can translate well in this local city and the administrators hire them cheaply.In addition to your report she said,"I could't catch what they say because of their poor pronunciation of English." She didn't think that's what she was there for but thought that that's what they were to be looked down on. Moreover, she has no respect or finds no value in runners.I'm furious about this woman because I am a runner and a residence in Beppu City where this race is annually held,which I have been proud of. On behalf of people concerned of this race I say, "I am deeply sorry for everyone who was hurt by this racist's absurd comment and please believe me say that this woman is an unbelievable exception, We all would like you to come and run on this beautiful, scenery course with full of audience with enthusiastic cheers foryou.
February 16, 2019 at 10:01 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .
Post a Comment
Read more

Chesang Wins Osaka Women's Marathon in 2:19:31, Yada Drops 2:19:57 Debut NR

This year's Osaka International Women's Marathon was a race run with a high level of methodicalness, starting slower than the planned 3:19/km but ramping up until the lead pack was skimming around the 2:20:15-30 projected finish level. After hitting halfway in 1:10:13 with a group of 6, by 25 km only 4 were left up front, sub-2:19 runners Workenesh Edesa , Stella Chesang and Bedatu Hirpa , and the debuting Mikuni Yada , and when the last 2 pacers stepped off at 30 km it was Yada who went to the front. Despite never have raced longer than the 10.6 km Third Stage at November's Queens Ekiden where she had helped the Edion team score its first-ever national title, Yada was very, very impressive, fearlessly surging from 12 km and never letting up, even laughing and smiling to fans along the course. When she started sustaining a pace around 3:15/km the projected finish dropped under 2:20 and all the way down to 2:19:28 by 35 km, and even when all 3 of the more experienced ru...
2 comments
Read more

Hirayama Breaks Osaka Half CR, Martinez Set Puerto Rican NR

The Osaka Half Marathon took another big step up the domestic half marathon rankings from a mass-participation race run alongside the Osaka International Women's Marathon to one of the country's top-tier races. In the women's race, the debuting Jecinta Nyokabi (Denso) went out fast, only to be run down by veteran Yumi Yoshikawa (Canon AC) by 10 km. Nyokabi faded to 6th in 1:10:41, but Yoshikawa pushed on to a PB 1:09:14 for the win. Rina Shimizu (Noritz), Yuna Takahashi (Shimamura) and Makoto Tsuchiya (Ritsumeikan Univ.) all broke 70 minutes, Tsuchiya taking the Kansai Region collegiate title in 1:09:32 for 4th overall. Everyone in the top 10 who wasn't debuting ran a PB, a mark of how fast the day was even with cold and windy conditions. The men's race went out on sub-61 pace courtesy of Yudai Shimazu (GMO), then got a big injection of speed when Kyuma Yokota (Toyota Kyushu) took off close to 60-flat pace. Yokota opened a 10-second lead by 15 km, but over ...
Post a Comment
Read more