Hi, ttpshot, thanks for the info. In comparison, France's elite budget seems to be 2M€ out of 5.4M overall, which is by no means negligible (of course it wouldn't cover a single individual's income in some other sports, but still) and not even very far removed from Japan's budget.
https://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&sour...FjABegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw36l1s9UrLZsmxrjymcHy7W
I'd be interested to know whether Japan has been investing much more than usual in view of the Olympics?
I would imagine that there is a lot more corporate investment in Japan but still, the league is strong enough in France that players can measure up against some of the cream of the European crop. One of our main strengths also is the fact that playing in a club is virtually free (well, 70€ to 120€ a year for a league registration at regional level, and that's it - no training fees or anything),and that includes the big clubs which can provide proper coaches. You'd only pay extra for full-time "internships" and stuff, and even that is usually quite affordable due to state, region or local subsidies.
On the other hand, income for high-level players seems to be nearly entirely dependant on club salaries, tournament results and sponsorships, all of which can fluctuate a lot. This is where the Fourcade rant comes into play, as stable public funding for individual athletes (in terms of income, or even means to attend tournaments) seems to be very scarce and yet going downwards.
Should it be enough for me to complain... Probably not. As you said, we have quite a few promising players, even though the overall number of players decreases every year (not just in TT). There's still a fairly healthy spirit overall and I may be wrong - this is where I go a little wayward - , but it seems in keeping with the times that many youngsters would turn down the stable career path to try and make the best shot out of their passion.
Huh... Where did we start?
Yes, it is a good thing if Japan invest and produce top talent. Also, the variety in styles is great and probably a source of headaches to the CNT. I must have been in a bad mood when I complained!