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Tariq Panja
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 20, 2022
On eve of World Cup, FIFA chief says: ‘Don’t criticize Qatar; criticize me'
In an extraordinary hourlong soliloquy delivered one day before the opening game, Gianni Infantino railed against critics of the tournament's first Arab host.
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 22, 2022
Rainbow armbands are new flash point for FIFA and Qatar World Cup
Qatari officials have long said that all fans are welcome at the tournament, but security officials there also have warned supporters not to travel with the rainbow flag.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 12, 2022
Failed test casts shadow over figure skating, the Olympics’ showcase event
'It's either an intentional delay to allow her to compete or gross incompetence and has resulted in mayhem,' the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 23, 2022
China’s Games: How Xi Jinping is staging the Olympics on his terms
No longer needing to prove its standing, China now wants to project the vision of a prosperous, confident nation under Xi, the country's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Nov 27, 2021
In IOC’s ‘quiet diplomacy,’ critics see whitewash of China’s actions
For the its many critics, the guarded language the IOC used when referring to the Peng case was just the latest proof that it will not take any action that might upset China's government.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Oct 16, 2021
EA Sports making plans for FIFA without FIFA
At least two years of talks about renewing the contract that allows Electronic Arts, through its EA Sports division, to use the organization's name have hit the wall.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2021
Tokyo’s Olympic bubble? Wait till you see Beijing’s.
With the Winter Olympics in Beijing just six months away, the Chinese authorities are planning elaborate precautions against COVID-19.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2021
Paris 2024 presses on with Plan A, but studies Tokyo’s Plan B
The next Summer Olympics are less than three years away. Paris says it's prepared, but so was Tokyo.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 3, 2021
In weightlifting, a historic moment for transgender women
New Zealander Laurel Hubbard has become the first to participate in the Olympics, but her appearance has received a mixed response.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 3, 2021
A track built for speed is already producing records at the Tokyo Games
The springy surface at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo has been compared to a trampoline. “You can feel the bounce,” one runner said.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 1, 2021
Olympics’ first openly transgender woman stokes debate on fairness
Laurel Hubbard, a 43-year-old weight lifter from New Zealand, will compete on Monday, as some question her right to be at the Games.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 29, 2021
Medals on, masks off
The pandemic has changed the way Olympians receive their medals. But in the rush of elation, coronavirus rules and social distancing policies are routinely forgotten.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 27, 2021
Russia is banned, yet it’s everywhere at the Games
A doping punishment changes a country's official name but little else about its Olympic experience.

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?