Motorsport: Japanese rider dies from injuries

Japanese motorcycle star Daijiro Kato died in hospital yesterday from injuries sustained in the Japan Grand Prix on April 6.

Kato, 27, who rode for Honda, suffered serious injuries to the head, chest and neck when his 990cc machine crashed into a barrier.

He was thrown back on to the track with his face down.

"The whole team are close to his family in their time of grief," a statement from the Honda team said.

Kato, who leaves a wife, Maikko, and two children, won the 250cc world championship in 2001 and stepped up to the premier class last year to finish seventh overall.

The death was the first in the sport since another Japanese rider, Nobuki Wakai, was killed at the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix.