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Scandal in the Corporate Leagues: Fujitsu CEO Announces New Year Ekiden Champion Team Lost Victory Pennant, Admits it May Have Been Thrown Away


On Dec. 16, Fujitsu CEO Hiroki Hiramatsu held a press conference to announce that the company's men's ekiden team, winners of the 2021 New Year Ekiden national championships, is unable to find the traditional victory pennant it received after its win. After apologizing for the pennant's loss, Hiramatsu discussed the circumstances in response to questions. 

In his apology, Hiramatsu said, "It has become apparent that the location of the pennant with which we had been entrusted for the year cannot be determined at the present time. We have been the subject of harsh words from the National Corporate Federation. Safeguarding this important championship pennant is a responsibility that the national champion must take seriously, and it is something that must not be lost.  I would like to extend our deepest apologies for causing this situation while a thing of such honor and prestige was in our possession."

The champion's pennant was the original in use since the first National Corporate Men's Ekiden Championships in 1957. The National Corporate Federation has expressed its displeasure at Fujitsu's loss of the pennant and its desire for Fujitsu "to apologize to all the past champion teams and involved parties." They are currently in the process of contacting past winners and coordinating in-person visits to apologize to each of them. On the topic of reimbursement for the pennant's loss, Hiramatsu said, "That is an issue I would like to deal with after further consultation with the National Corporate Federation."

At the 65th New Year Ekiden on Jan. 1, 2021 Fujitsu won for the third time in the team's history, its first victory in 12 years. In November when the pennant was scheduled to be returned to the National Corporate Federation in preparation for the 2022 New Year Ekiden, the team was unable to locate it. Over the summer the company rearranged department locations at its head office. "The storage location changed several times," said Hiramatsu. "We searched for the pennant and investigated whether it might have been lost, misplaced, or stolen, but although we have confirmed the location of the victory trophy we remain unable to find the pennant."

Fujitsu consulted with the police, but because it is unknown whether the pennant was stolen no theft report has been filed. Hiramatsu commented, "We must admit the possibility that it may have been accidentally thrown away with items of trash." Asked how this could have happened Hiramatsu took responsibility, bowing deeply and saying, "I was insufficiently aware that what we had in our safekeeping was an item of such honor."

Translator's note: This may sound a bit amusing, but it's pretty serious if the CEO is coming out to take responsibility. The champion's pennant is a tradition in Japan, a massive flag to which tassels are added each year with the winning team's name. As the article says, this was the original used for 65 years, and it can never be replaced. The Fujitsu team, coached by Tadashi Fukushima, includes marathon national record holder Kengo Suzuki, 2020 Olympic marathon trials winner Shogo Nakamura and 2020 Olympic 5000 m runners Yuta Bando and Hiroki Matsueda.

source article:
translated by Brett Larner

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