Japanese swimmers and officials at the Asian Games refused to get drawn into a political row Friday after China’s bad boy Sun Yang called Japan’s national anthem “ugly”.
Japan’s head coach Takayuki Umehara told AFP there had been no angry reaction to Olympic champion Sun telling Chinese media: “The Japanese national anthem sounds ugly.”
“It is a very delicate issue and we didn’t hear what he said directly so it’s difficult to comment, but what is fact is that there is no agitation or signs of the swimmers being upset,” said Umehara.
“We have come here to swim and the athletes do not get involved in issues beyond swimming. The (Japanese) swimmers who interact with Sun and know his personality have decided that there wasn’t any malice in what was said.”
No stranger to controversy, the outspoken Sun reacted petulantly after a stunning defeat by Japanese rival Kosuke Hagino in last weekend’s 200 metres freestyle, blaming his loss on a sore thumb.
“Sun Yang is not the only swimmer to say things on the spur of the moment,” said Umehara. “We are here to fight for medals and you have to be up for the battle. But we have instructed our athletes about the importance of sportsmanship and respect.
“Sportsmanship might mean different things in other countries but clearly anything touching on the subject of the national anthem is a delicate and difficult issue.”
Sun took a potshot at the Japanese anthem after helping China’s 4x100m freestyle relay team beat their Japanese rivals on Wednesday.
“The Chinese let their anger out tonight,” he is heard as saying on a Chinese-language audio passed to AFP.
Japan’s male swimmers have largely got the better of the Chinese in South Korea, leading the Asian juggernaut 8-5 in gold medals through five days of the six-day competition.
“We are not worried (about the remarks),” said Yasuhiro Nakamori, international relations director for the Japanese Olympic Committee.
“Japan will respect the Asian Games vision and continue to compete in the spirit of Asian harmony.”
Sun’s past is less harmonious. He was suspended from swimming for six months after being arrested last year for colliding with a bus while driving without a licence.
That incident followed a public bust-up with his coach after he voiced disapproval of the hulking swimmer’s dalliance with an air hostess.
After Japan’s flying start to the pool competition, a Chinese team official ordered Hagino to sit down as he tried to leave a press conference before lecturing the bemused swimmer and assembled journalists about China’s strength.
Japan’s swimmers gave a measured response to Sun’s comments.
“I’m on friendly terms with Sun Yang but I’m not sure what he meant by it,” said backstroker Ryosuke Irie. “Maybe something got lost in translation. But it doesn’t change the fact that he is an amazing athlete.”