lefty
05-20-2008, 11:40 PM
AFP
Japan's ancient sport of Sumo hit by fresh scandal
Mon May 19, 1:16 AM
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's sumo authority, struggling to clean up the sport's scandal-tainted image, said Monday it would punish a wrestler and two stable masters over the beating of junior wrestlers.
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The move follows a public outcry over the death last year of a teenage apprentice who was beaten with a beer bottle and a baseball bat.
"We will severely reprimand them soon," said a Sumo Association spokeswoman of the three men.
One of them, stable master Magaki, also sits on the association's executive board, and has admitted to beating a junior wrestler with a bamboo sword last week, the official said.
Magaki, 55, told reporters Saturday, "It's only natural to discipline somebody if he did a bad thing."
But he later voiced his regret to the association, the spokeswoman said.
The violence came to light after a judge noticed during a match last week that the wrestler's legs were badly bruised.
Second-tier wrestler Toyozakura and his stable master Michinoku have also apologised after Toyozakura admitted hitting an 18-year-old.
"I think I hit him some 10 times (with a ladle)... He got eight stitches," the 34-year-old told reporters on Saturday.
"I asked him to do something, which I don't remember exactly, but he couldn't do it," he said.
Michinoku said he was "very sorry" for the January incident, adding, "I didn't imagine fellows in my stable would do such a thing."
The violence was only discovered when the junior wrestler was injured during training and hospitalised in late April, reportedly with a broken neck.
"His hair was cut short for surgery and that's when stable master Michinoku spotted the (old) wound," the association spokeswoman said.
Sumo dates back 2,000 years and is heavily ritualistic, with wrestlers expected to be humble role models.
But violent hazing, or beating during training, has long been seen as customary, contributing to the sport's struggle to attract new recruits.
A former stable master and three disciples were arrested in February over the death of a 17-year-old apprentice, a case that prompted calls for the sumo world to crack down on violence in training stables
Japan's ancient sport of Sumo hit by fresh scandal
Mon May 19, 1:16 AM
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's sumo authority, struggling to clean up the sport's scandal-tainted image, said Monday it would punish a wrestler and two stable masters over the beating of junior wrestlers.
ADVERTISEMENT
The move follows a public outcry over the death last year of a teenage apprentice who was beaten with a beer bottle and a baseball bat.
"We will severely reprimand them soon," said a Sumo Association spokeswoman of the three men.
One of them, stable master Magaki, also sits on the association's executive board, and has admitted to beating a junior wrestler with a bamboo sword last week, the official said.
Magaki, 55, told reporters Saturday, "It's only natural to discipline somebody if he did a bad thing."
But he later voiced his regret to the association, the spokeswoman said.
The violence came to light after a judge noticed during a match last week that the wrestler's legs were badly bruised.
Second-tier wrestler Toyozakura and his stable master Michinoku have also apologised after Toyozakura admitted hitting an 18-year-old.
"I think I hit him some 10 times (with a ladle)... He got eight stitches," the 34-year-old told reporters on Saturday.
"I asked him to do something, which I don't remember exactly, but he couldn't do it," he said.
Michinoku said he was "very sorry" for the January incident, adding, "I didn't imagine fellows in my stable would do such a thing."
The violence was only discovered when the junior wrestler was injured during training and hospitalised in late April, reportedly with a broken neck.
"His hair was cut short for surgery and that's when stable master Michinoku spotted the (old) wound," the association spokeswoman said.
Sumo dates back 2,000 years and is heavily ritualistic, with wrestlers expected to be humble role models.
But violent hazing, or beating during training, has long been seen as customary, contributing to the sport's struggle to attract new recruits.
A former stable master and three disciples were arrested in February over the death of a 17-year-old apprentice, a case that prompted calls for the sumo world to crack down on violence in training stables