Entire sumo stable to miss tournament after being hit by virus

TOKYO — The Japan Sumo Association said Thursday that 18 wrestlers from the Tamanoi stable tested positive for the novel coronavirus, resulting in the entire stable sitting out the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament starting this weekend.

Sumo elder Shibatayama, the JSA's director of communications, assured however that the 15-day tournament starting Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan would go ahead as scheduled in spite of the outbreak.

One wrestler from the Tamanoi stable had already tested positive on Saturday, bringing the tally to 19. The JSA said all 28 members of the stable, including its stablemaster, former ozeki Tochiazuma who also serves as a ringside judge, will skip the Autumn meet to prevent the spread of the virus.

Two of the stable's rikishi were slated to compete in the second-tier juryo division -- No. 7 Azumaryu and No. 14 Fujiazuma, both former maegashira in the top makuuchi division. The stable currently has no wrestlers ranked in the top tier.

Twelve of the infected wrestlers have already been hospitalized with minor illnesses. The other seven plan to visit the hospital but have shown no symptoms. Tamanoi and Azumaryu each tested negative.

The JSA has put in place several infection prevention measures -- such as banning wrestlers from visiting other stables for training -- that had largely been effective throughout the July Grand Sumo Tournament held in Tokyo in front of a limited audience.

"The virus can't be seen. It's unavoidable that this kind of thing happened," Shibatayama said. "The association has to take measures against it."

In April, several members of the Takadagawa stable, including its stablemaster, a former sekiwake known then as Akinoshima, and juryo grappler Hakuyozan, tested positive for the virus.

In May, 28-year-old Shobushi from the fourth-tier sandanme division died due to multiple organ failure caused by the coronavirus. The wrestler was the first sumo wrestler to test positive for the virus in early April.

The JSA decided to hold this year's March grand tournament in Osaka behind closed doors and canceled the May tournament amid a nationwide state of emergency following the coronavirus outbreak.

The association opted to allow up to 2,500 spectators to attend the July Grand Sumo Tournament per day, asking them to wear masks and refrain from cheering.

© KYODO