ID :
158939
Fri, 02/04/2011 - 18:00
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https://oananews.org//node/158939
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Sumo: Spring meet in doubt as wrestler offers to quit over bout rigging
TOKYO, Feb. 4 Kyodo - The Japan Sumo Association hinted Friday that it may cancel next month's Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in the wake of a match-fixing scandal that has rocked the ancient sport to its core and sparked public outrage.
''We would like to go ahead with the tournament but we have to think about whether we can do that without the forgiveness of sumo fans,'' JSA Chairman Hanaregoma told a news conference.
''Betting on baseball was a big issue, but I see the latest one as an even bigger issue,'' he said.
The JSA will discuss whether to go ahead with the March 13-27 meet in Osaka at an executive committee meeting on Sunday, when it will also try to handle the latest scandal to bring sumo into disrepute.
The association has also postponed the start of ticket sales for the spring basho as the ongoing investigation of 14 wrestlers and elders allegedly involved in the bout rigging is taking longer than expected. Tickets were originally scheduled to go on sale Sunday.
A special investigative panel said Friday that it cannot get the whole picture of the scandal with just one round of hearings involving the 14. It has been asked to report its findings to the JSA executive committee this weekend.
The panel has also decided to ask the people in question to voluntarily turn in their cellphones and bank books for further investigations.
Sources revealed earlier in the day that Chiyohakuho, one of two wrestlers who have admitted to fixing sumo matches in high-profile tournaments, has offered to quit the sport.
The juryo division wrestler on Thursday submitted his resignation to the JSA, which has yet to decide on whether to accept it.
In a hammer blow to a sumo world still reeling from a string of scandals including illegal betting, drug use and the death of a teenage wrestler who was beaten to an early grave, Chiyohakuho, Enatsukasa and sumo elder Takenawa have all admitted to their involvement in bout rigging.
During questioning by the JSA on Wednesday, Chiyohakuho initially denied being involved but later admitted his guilt after being asked about a text message on his mobile phone suggesting he had thrown matches.
He named his opponent in the bout in question but the name of the wrestler, who formerly grappled in the juryo division, was not mentioned in the text message. The wrestler was later identified as Kirinowaka.
While the latest scandal has left sumo's reputation in the gutter, it has also put in jeopardy its status as a public interest corporation with preferential tax treatment.
The sumo governing body has also been tainted with gambling on professional baseball games by wrestlers and elders, and alleged links with the underworld.
On Friday, Cabinet members indicated they would not think about rescinding the JSA's status immediately but urged its members to do their utmost to deal with the scandals.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, the top government spokesman, said at a news conference, ''There are many hurdles to repeal the association's status as a public body...If (the JSA) takes proper action, it will not have to be dissolved.''
Renho, Cabinet minister in charge of reforming public bodies, also said that if the next sumo tournament is held as scheduled, the government should skip giving the prime minister's cup to the winner.
However, Prime Minister Naoto Kan refrained from making any comment about that or whether the basho should go ahead.
''I would like to think about it after the outcome of thorough investigations,'' Kan told reporters.
The news of the scandal broke on Wednesday when police investigating illegal gambling on professional baseball in sumo circles last year discovered a number of cellphone text messages implying sumo bouts had been thrown.
Thirteen people were initially implicated in the scandal although further JSA investigations revealed an additional person may have taken part in the match fixing, bringing the total to 14.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which oversees the JSA, has demanded full disclosure of the association's findings that it could report as early as Monday.
In addition, public broadcaster NHK, which decided to pull the plug on live feeds of last summer's Nagoya tournament because of the baseball betting racket, is canceling its annual ''Fukushi Ozumo'' charity event scheduled for Feb. 11 due to the scandal and is also considering scrapping live coverage of the Spring meet in March.
''We would like to go ahead with the tournament but we have to think about whether we can do that without the forgiveness of sumo fans,'' JSA Chairman Hanaregoma told a news conference.
''Betting on baseball was a big issue, but I see the latest one as an even bigger issue,'' he said.
The JSA will discuss whether to go ahead with the March 13-27 meet in Osaka at an executive committee meeting on Sunday, when it will also try to handle the latest scandal to bring sumo into disrepute.
The association has also postponed the start of ticket sales for the spring basho as the ongoing investigation of 14 wrestlers and elders allegedly involved in the bout rigging is taking longer than expected. Tickets were originally scheduled to go on sale Sunday.
A special investigative panel said Friday that it cannot get the whole picture of the scandal with just one round of hearings involving the 14. It has been asked to report its findings to the JSA executive committee this weekend.
The panel has also decided to ask the people in question to voluntarily turn in their cellphones and bank books for further investigations.
Sources revealed earlier in the day that Chiyohakuho, one of two wrestlers who have admitted to fixing sumo matches in high-profile tournaments, has offered to quit the sport.
The juryo division wrestler on Thursday submitted his resignation to the JSA, which has yet to decide on whether to accept it.
In a hammer blow to a sumo world still reeling from a string of scandals including illegal betting, drug use and the death of a teenage wrestler who was beaten to an early grave, Chiyohakuho, Enatsukasa and sumo elder Takenawa have all admitted to their involvement in bout rigging.
During questioning by the JSA on Wednesday, Chiyohakuho initially denied being involved but later admitted his guilt after being asked about a text message on his mobile phone suggesting he had thrown matches.
He named his opponent in the bout in question but the name of the wrestler, who formerly grappled in the juryo division, was not mentioned in the text message. The wrestler was later identified as Kirinowaka.
While the latest scandal has left sumo's reputation in the gutter, it has also put in jeopardy its status as a public interest corporation with preferential tax treatment.
The sumo governing body has also been tainted with gambling on professional baseball games by wrestlers and elders, and alleged links with the underworld.
On Friday, Cabinet members indicated they would not think about rescinding the JSA's status immediately but urged its members to do their utmost to deal with the scandals.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, the top government spokesman, said at a news conference, ''There are many hurdles to repeal the association's status as a public body...If (the JSA) takes proper action, it will not have to be dissolved.''
Renho, Cabinet minister in charge of reforming public bodies, also said that if the next sumo tournament is held as scheduled, the government should skip giving the prime minister's cup to the winner.
However, Prime Minister Naoto Kan refrained from making any comment about that or whether the basho should go ahead.
''I would like to think about it after the outcome of thorough investigations,'' Kan told reporters.
The news of the scandal broke on Wednesday when police investigating illegal gambling on professional baseball in sumo circles last year discovered a number of cellphone text messages implying sumo bouts had been thrown.
Thirteen people were initially implicated in the scandal although further JSA investigations revealed an additional person may have taken part in the match fixing, bringing the total to 14.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which oversees the JSA, has demanded full disclosure of the association's findings that it could report as early as Monday.
In addition, public broadcaster NHK, which decided to pull the plug on live feeds of last summer's Nagoya tournament because of the baseball betting racket, is canceling its annual ''Fukushi Ozumo'' charity event scheduled for Feb. 11 due to the scandal and is also considering scrapping live coverage of the Spring meet in March.
