New uniforms to protect athletes from secret photography

Tokyo (Jiji Press) – In Japan, uniforms for the Paris Olympics have been made from a newly developed material to protect female athletes from secret photography.

Japanese athletes will wear these new uniforms in volleyball, table tennis and hockey at the Paris Olympic Games, which start on July 26.

The covert photography of female athletes for sexual purposes has become a serious problem in recent years.

Major Japanese sporting goods maker Mizuno Corp., which was involved in the development, began research about five years ago, the company’s Kazuya Tajima said.

After dozens of prototypes, Mizuno developed a special yarn that can absorb infrared radiation.

When a photo of a person is taken with an infrared camera, the underwear the person is wearing is visible in the image. But a uniform with the new thread largely prevents this, Tajima said.

During the development of the new material, Mizuno collected opinions from athletes.

“Some athletes have had experience with being secretly photographed, and some told me that they are happy that such a countermeasure allows them to play with peace of mind,” Tajima said.

But he said: “The problem of secretly photographing athletes is still not that well-known,” adding: “If people pay more attention to the problem, there will be more vigilance. Changing people’s mindset is very important.”

Mizuno plans to also use the newly developed material for sportswear and underwear.

A relative of a volleyball player said that numerous shutter sounds can often be heard from the stands.

But the relative said angrily: “Some spectators only take pictures when a player serves a ball or during a timeout, and sleep as soon as the match starts. I want a system where only those who have applied earlier are allowed to take their cameras.”

During a Nations League volleyball event in Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan, spectators were allowed to take photos unless they used flashes or large equipment that would get in the way of other spectators, the Japan Volleyball Association said.

During another volleyball event, the association called on visitors to use a special QR code (Quick Response) to report surreptitious photos at the venue.

Rieko Yamaguchi, a professor at Josai University and an expert on sports and gender issues, praised Mizuno’s development of the new uniform material, calling it “a welcome development.”

However, she said, “There is still a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed,” noting that there have been cases of covert photography using cameras with telephoto lenses.

“I want people to look at sports with a sense of morality and see players as athletes.”