By David Gold
May 2 – Japan has arranged international friendlies with Peru and the Czech Republic next month after reassuring their opponents over potential health risks due to the country’s ongoing nuclear crisis.
More than 28,000 people either died or went missing in north east Japan following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which precipitated the nuclear crisis.
Stadiums were damaged and the J-league was forced to suspend football for a month as a result.
Football has now resumed in the country, and the Japanese Football Association (JFA) said that they reassured the Peruvians and Czechs that their players and officials would not be in danger by travelling.
“We gave the relevant data about radiation levels and aftershocks,” said Kozo Tashima, the general secretary of the JFA.
“They are convinced it is safe to come.”
Japan was forced to cancel friendlies at home to Montenegro and New Zealand in March.
The Asian Cup holders’ Copa America participation has been compromised as the J-League will be in action during July after it rescheduled its calendar, meaning that a weakened side will be sent to Argentina, which may be comprised of university players.
The Peru game will take place in Niigata on June 1 and Yokohama will host the Czech friendly on June 7, with both games taking place at night.
But the country is also facing electrical problems, with the Government calling on football and baseball in particular to save electricity to reduce the pressure on the national grid, as well as trying to avert a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Therefore the games will be played using floodlights, but lighting away from the pitch will be either dimmed or switched off.
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