Courtesy of Yamatokoriyama
Posted on 08/29/2003 6:46:17 AM PDT by dighton
YAMATOKORIYAMA, Nara -- A corrupt superstar has rocked the foundations of the National Goldfish Dipper Catching Federation after he was caught cheating during the fledgling sport’s recent national championship.
The 53-year-old Saitama Prefecture man who has dominated the sport since it was first organized nationally almost a decade ago was stripped of the team title he won and banned from goldfish dipper competitions for life after he admitted to using a net dipper he had secreted away instead of the officially sanctioned rice paper type.
A competitor who videotaped the national record holder during the 9th National Ladle Goldfish Catching Championship to try and learn the secrets of his success inadvertently caught the top dipper using the illegal ladle on camera, leading to his demise.
Shaken National Goldfish Dipper Catching Federation officials said the man’s ouster from the sport was the only real option available to them.
“We’re truly sorry. We made the decision because we want to maintain the meaning and integrity of the competition as one that abides by its rules and is perfectly fair to all,” federation Chairman Kiyoshi Ueda said. “We want to try and make the competition as fair as possible so that we don’t destroy children’s dreams.”
Federation officials said the national championships have an individual and team competition. This year’s national titles attracted 1,862 competitors from 33 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Competitors use a rice paper dipper they scoop through a baby pool to catch as many goldfish as possible in a 3-minute period. Before each contest, a judge will show competitors a handful of dippers and they can choose whichever one they like best.
During the team competition, the Saitama superstar of goldfish catching, taking part in the team event for the first time ever, used his own dipper instead of one offered by the judge. His three-member team went on to capture the national title, snaring 138 fish in their allotted period.
Twice a national individual champion, the Saitama superstar goldfish catcher has taken part in all but one of the national titles. His technique is renowned in dipper catching circles and he nearly always attracts a crowd when he competes.
One of the people watching him during the team semifinal kept a video camera pointed at the superstar in the hope of picking up some hints from his successful technique. Instead of learning new ways to triumph legally, however, the competitor who shot the video returned home and watched in horror as they spotted the superstar using his own dipper with a net attached that he had hidden under a hand fan he had been carrying.
Saitama’s superstar goldfish catcher admitted he had used the illegal dipper, saying he had used it in a preliminary round and liked the feel of it, so wanted to continue using it at the business end of the tournament.
He denied using the net-equipped dipper in the individual tournament, where he finished runner-up, and said he had been above board during last year’s national championships when his 160-fish catch became the national record, surpassing the previous best by a whopping 63 goldfish!
With the superstar’s confession in hand, a meeting of the federation’s board of directors decided to strip his team of the national title and take away the all expenses paid trip to Hawaii that came with it. The superstar was also issued with a lifetime ban. His teammates said they had no idea he had been cheating.
Courtesy of Yamatokoriyama
Aaaaaaaiiiiiirrrrghhhhhh! My dreams are destroyed!
BTW, did anybody else notice this article NEVER gives this superstar's name?
Good catch.
I dunno - I just hope he didn't find some agent that worked out of DU.
The 53-year-old Saitama Prefecture man who has dominated the sport since it was first organized nationally almost a decade ago was stripped of the team title he won and banned from goldfish dipper competitions for life after he admitted to using a net dipper he had secreted away instead of the officially sanctioned rice paper type.
The thrill of victory, the agony of *no feet* ...
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