Athletes have forum for complaints

A Japanese court of arbitration for sport (JSAA) was officially launched Monday, with the organization holding its first board meeting in Tokyo.

The JSAA was modeled after Switzerland's Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to receive complaints from athletes, including suspensions over suspected doping, JSAA officials said.

Masato Dogauchi, 47, a professor at the University of Tokyo, was formally appointed head of the JSAA with former Nordic combined Olympic gold medalist Kenji Ogiwara, 33, named as one of the board members.

The CAS's dismissal of former swimmer Suzu Chiba's claim over her exclusion from the Japan team for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games helped create the Japanese version of the CAS.