• Physical and sexual abuse has led some to take their lives
• ‘Sport has been a cause of pain, fear and distress for too many’

A damning new study of sport in Japan has found child athletes have routinely suffered physical, sexual and verbal abuse from their coaches, which led several to take their own lives.

Released in the week the 2020 Olympics were due to begin in Tokyo, the report by Human Rights Watch includes testimonies from Japanese athletes competing in more than 50 sports who have reported abuses that included being assaulted and sexually abused or harassed, with many suffering from depression, physical disabilities and lifelong trauma as a result.

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