Okano, Japan's organizer of 2002 World Cup, dies at 85
Posted February 03, 2017 6:00 am
TOKYO (AP) - The soccer official who led Japan's organizing committee of the 2002 World Cup has died. Shun-Ichiro Okano was 85.
Japan's soccer federation announced on Friday that Okano died from lung cancer on Thursday in a hospital in Tokyo.
Okano played for and coached the national team, and served a four-year term as the soccer federation's president through the 2002 World Cup co-hosted with South Korea.
The federation says in a statement it "would like to extend our deep gratitude for his lifelong dedication."
Okano was also a member of the International Olympic Committee for more than 20 years until he reached the mandatory age limit of 80. He became an honorary IOC member in 2012.
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.