SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015 SPORTS Japan’s Endo faces finance, feuding and stadium fuss Soaring costs major issue for Olympic organizers TOKYO: Japan has appointed its first Olympics plans for the massive, futuristic stadium were An alternate plan submitted two weeks ago minister, naming a veteran politician to a cabi- chosen in an international contest by a commit- from a group headed by Pritzger Prize-winning net post created just last month to guide the tee led by noted Japanese architect Tadao architect Fumihiko Maki would abandon the country through preparations for the 2020 Ando. “He wanted the stadium to be something arches for a doughnut-shaped, mostly roofless Summer Games - and a host of thorny issues. that would show off Japanese skills to the stadium for roughly 162 billion yen. “It’s not at all Though Tokyo won the games largely due to its world, so he chose an extremely difficult design epoch-making, just the kind of construction that organizational prowess, the last year has seen that has ultimately increased costs and con- could be done anywhere,” Maki said. But an the rolling back of bid promises of a cosy, down- struction time,” said Hitoshi Sakai, head of the Education Ministry official said this design lacked town event, ballooning construction costs and Institute for Social Engineering think tank and a details and was “unrealistic”. Other officials have messy arguments between Tokyo and the veteran of Tokyo’s failed bid for the 2016 said ditching Hadid’s design would damage national government over the tab for the new Olympics. Japan’s reputation and could lead to lawsuits. National Stadium. The stadium price was 130 billion yen ($1.1 “When last year’s estimate came in at 300 billion Taking the post is Toshiaki Endo, 65, a law- billion) in Tokyo’s bid documents but estimates yen, there was a huge rush to cut costs, making it maker of 22 years who has worked on sports soared to 300 billion yen last year, prompting an entirely different stadium,” said Munehiko policy, been a senior vice minister in the officials to scale back the design. Media reports Harada, a professor at Tokyo’s Waseda University. Education Ministry and plays rugby. “The prime this week say that if Japan sticks close to this, as “I think at that point a lot of people said, just minister told me to keep in close contact with it appears set to do, it will cost at least 252 bil- hold on there.” The new minister will also have to all the appropriate cabinet ministers, as well as lion yen. “I think building something that would smooth things over between Tokyo and the the Tokyo government, and work hard,” Endo have made use of the old stadium, with modern national government after Tokyo mayor Yoichi told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister functions, would have been good,” Sakai added, Masuzoe rebelled at being ask to foot some 50 Shinzo Abe. One of Endo’s first tasks is likely to noting that both Sydney and London scaled billion yen of the stadium bill without knowing be a decision on the final design for the back on the original plans for their stadiums. details about construction. Masuzoe has recently National Stadium, currently the centre of a “Having this problem emerge when the old sta- said he is waiting for a final decision on the stadi- firestorm over its ballooning costs and what dium has already been demolished down to the um before making any more comments. “That he critics say is a general lack of fit with its site in ground is really a shame.” An integral part of objects to having Tokyo pay for it, I can under- TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) poses with newly-appoint- downtown Tokyo, where the now-demolished Hadid’s design is two massive arches that run stand, since he wasn’t part of the decision,” Sakai ed Olympics Minister Toshiaki Endo after Abe appointed him as the first stadium used for the 1964 Olympics stood. the length of the stadium and anchor the said. “But he and the government need to coop- minister for the 2020 summer Olympic Games, at Abe’s official residence in Designed by Zaha Hadid, who planned the design. Critics say much of the cost overrun erate and they need to decide things quickly, Tokyo. —AFP aquatics centre for the 2012 London Olympics, comes from these. otherwise it’s ridiculous.” —Reuters Baseball squad makes history First openly gay pro SONOMA: Baseball history was made in doing this.” Northern California when the sport’s first Major League Baseball historian John active professional player to come out as Thorn confirmed that Conroy is the first gay pitched a shutout before an enthusias- active professional to come out as gay. tic crowd that seemed more impressed Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the A’s and with his performance than his role as a pio- Dodgers, and Billy Bean, a utility player neer. Sean Conroy, 23, led the Sonoma with the Tigers, Dodgers and Padres, came Stompers to a 7-0 victory Thursday night out after they retired. “While this pitcher during his first start with the 22-man team who was unknown to me before your call that is part of the independent Pacific may not be a prospect for Major League Association of Baseball Clubs. The right Baseball, he certainly deserves our hander struck-out 11 players and allowed applause,” Thorn said. Conroy, who had three hits over nine innings. earned four saves as a closer for the “He wanted to be that guy, and coming Stompers before taking the mound as a out here and doing this shows you what starter for the first time, said he told his kind of man he is,” Tim Livingston, the family he was gay at age 16 and been open team’s radio broadcaster, said after a with his high school, summer league and ground ball ended the game and Conroy’s college teams. It would have been strange teammates jogged over to hug him. “To see not to do the same once he moved across this little field here in the middle of the country and started making friends on nowhere, when we look back it will have the team in Sonoma, he said. As far as been the perfect setting for this.” The coming out publicly, Conroy said he saw it atmosphere at Arnold Field, the Stompers’ as a way to help his team and to set an 370 seat home field, was low-key, with no example for other players. obvious signs it was a historic game or “It’s not that I wanted it to go public, but even gay pride night at the ballpark - I didn’t care if it was open information. It’s except for the rainbow-striped socks and who I am,” he said. “I am definitely surprised arm warmers some players - but not that no one else has been openly gay in Conroy - wore. baseball yet.” Conroy says he hopes to catch The Stompers did not make a special the eye of a big league scout but hasn’t announcement or call attention to the focused on much beyond this season. The milestone so Conroy could focus on his life of a Stomper is certainly a far cry from pitching, General Manager Theo the majors. Players live with host families Fightmaster said. When the starting lineup during the June-to-August season, earn was announced, however, Conroy got the $650 a month on average and supply their loudest cheer. “We’ve had gay people here own cleats, batting gloves and elbow forever, it’s not like it’s a big deal,” said Barry guards. Bean, who serves as Major League Bosshard, who along with his wife, Laura, is Baseball’s ambassador of inclusion, said putting up Conroy and another player at none of that diminishes his contribution to their home during the Stompers’ 78-game professional sports. “It doesn’t matter if he season. “But it’s major pressure on him pitches in the big leagues or not, he’s going because he’s never really broadcast it and to become a leader (tonight) in many ways,” he is a very humble, private person.” Bean said. The Stompers recruited the upstate New Conroy’s history-making start came at a York native out of college in May. watershed moment for gay rights, with the Fightmaster says Conroy privately shared US Supreme Court scheduled to rule any his sexual orientation with teammates and day now on whether to make same-sex mar- management before agreeing to come out riage legal across the nation. Mark Vogler, publicly in time for the team’s home field 50, co-owner of a local company that spon- gay pride night. “His goal has always been sors LGBT tours and events in wine country, to be the first openly gay baseball player, marveled from behind a fence not far from so he was very much in favor of telling the the catcher as he watched Conroy throw story, of carrying that torch,” he said. Nancy some of what turn out to be 140 pitches. Dito, 67, attended the game with 25 friends Vogler grew up in another part of Sonoma from a local group for LGBT seniors and was County and left as soon as he could because one of three fans picked to throw out a first the anti-gay hostility was so high. “To see pitch. “It’s great they cheered for him,” Dito Sean walk out and not get booed and have said of the warm reception for Conroy.