TOKYO - Shogi player Kana Fukuma, who currently holds six women’s titles, revealed on December 10th that she has submitted a formal request calling for revisions to the Japan Shogi Association’s rule that prevents players from competing in title matches during a set period before and after childbirth.
Fukuma, who holds six crowns, asked for schedule adjustments last year due to health concerns during pregnancy, but two title matches that did not grant changes resulted in default losses. In response to the controversy, the Japan Shogi Association introduced a new rule in April this year stating that if a title match overlaps even partially with the six weeks before or eight weeks after childbirth, the competitor will be replaced. However, Fukuma submitted a written request arguing that the schedule for title matches is extremely congested and that the rule still effectively forces players into default losses.
Fukuma said, without a break in the paragraph, "Under the current rules, even if a player holds multiple titles, becoming pregnant means having to choose between retaining a title or giving birth, and this creates serious concern for the future of the shogi world."
Although the association has not made the details of the rule public, it says it will continue to make every possible adjustment as before, while noting that discussions are ongoing regarding how to handle situations when adjustments cannot be made, and that a revised proposal is currently under consideration.
Source: YOMIURI
