Japan's gold hopes are loud and proud

Former Japanese pro-wrestler Heigo Hamaguchi will defy orders to curb unruly behaviour and cheer as loud as possible if it helps daughter Kyoko win an Olympic wrestling gold.

The muscle-bound, balded-headed 60-year-old, nicknamed 'The Animal', was a regular presence outside his daughter's mat with his vocal encouragements when she clinched five 72kg world titles.

'Kiai da (Give it spirit),' the elder Hamaguchi repeatedly shouted, pleasing television networks from Japan.

After China's Wang Xu beat a tearful Kyoko in the semi-finals on her way to gold in Athens in 2004, her father said: 'Don't cry, Kyoko. There will be Beijing.'

Now he has come up with a new war cry 'Zettai makenai' ('Never lose') for 30-year-old Kyoko's assault on the Beijing title.

The war cry has even inspired a song of the same name by Tokyo hip-hop quartet, Asia Engineer.

'I have been telling Kyoko 'Never lose' for 24 hours each and every day. It gives her energy,' Heigo said.

'I will give 100 rounds of 'Give it a Spirit" at (Beijing) airport,' added the senior Hamaguchi who retired in 1995 and runs a downtown Tokyo gym at which Kyoko started wrestling at age 13.

But what if Hamaguchi's noisy showtime is suppressed?

'I will use my eyeballs to send my message,' he said.

Kyoko, who finished ninth at the world championships in 2007, qualified for the Olympics by winning the Asian title this year.

'I have crawled up through different kinds of experience and am at my strongest level ever. I have nothing to fear.'

Japan's four Olympic women wrestlers, who have won 20 Olympic and world titles among them and for whom wrestling is a family tradition, will arrive in China on 11 August ahead of the two-day, four-event contest on 16-17 August.

They combined to win two golds, one silver and one bronze when the women's event made its Olympic debut.

Saori Yoshida, whose father is a former national amateur champion, will defend her 55kg title after her 119-match winning streak ended in January at the hands of unfancied American Marcie Van Dusen 2-0 at the World Cup.

Sisters Kaori and Chiharu Icho will go for two golds in the 48kg and 63kg. Only four weight divisions are on the Olympic programme.