Japan grapples with sumo scandal as ‘veiled underbelly’ of sacred sport exposed

The “veiled underbelly” of Japan’s national sport has been exposed, a newspaper has claimed, after one of the most senior wrestlers in its sacred sport of sumo was involved in a drunken brawl.

Harumafuji, a Mongolian wrestler, will likely be forced to resign due to growing public uproar over a bar fight in which another wrestler sustained a fractured skull.

Weighing in at 302 lbs, the 33-year-old was promoted to "yokozuna", the highest rank in the sport, in September 2012. But he is now the subject of a police investigation over the brutal incident and has withdrawn from the ongoing Grand Tournament in Fukuoka, southern Japan.

According to police, a fight broke out in a bar in Tottori where five Mongolian wrestlers were drinking in late October. It has been claimed that Harumafuji flew into a rage when Takanoiwa tried to answer his mobile phone while he was receiving a dressing down from his superior.

Harumafuji allegedly smashed a beer bottle over Takanoiwa's head and continued to punch him for between 20 and 30 times while he lay bleeding on a table before other wrestlers could intervene.

Takanoiwa, 27, was later diagnosed with a concussion, a fracture at the base of his skull and damage to his spine. He was in hospital for five days and also forced to pull out of the Fukuoka tournament, meaning that he will be demoted a rank.

Appearing contrite before a horde of reporters outside his sumo stable's quarters in the city earlier this week, Harumafuji said, "I offer my deepest apologies for the tremendous trouble that I have caused by injuring Takanoiwa".

Given the fierce backlash in the media and among the public, that is unlikely to be enough to save his career.

"There is no way he can survive something like this; he's done in sumo", said John Gunning, a long-time commentator on the sport.

Editorials in Japanese media have echoed that belief.

Kyodo News reported that "sumo's veiled underbelly has yet again stained the reputation of Japan's national sport", while the Yomiuri newspaper said Harumafuji's actions are "unworthy of his status".

"A strict punishment needs to be imposed", it added, because he had failed to demonstrate the dignity required of a “yokozuna".

Questions have also been raised as to why the incident was not immediately reported to the Japan Sumo Association by Harumafuji's stable master, Takanohana. The clear suggestion is that the sport was trying to cover up the episode to avoid damaging headlines that have dogged the sport in the past.

In 2007, a teenage wrestler was beaten to death with a bottle and bamboo sticks by his stable master and a number of fellow wrestlers, while three years later the sport was rocked by allegations of bouts being fixed. There have also been claims that gambling is rife within stables and that wrestlers use drugs, while there have long been suggestions that organised crime groups have a close association with some stables.

"Just five years ago, the sport's popularity was at an all-time low and there were lots of empty seats at tournaments", Mr Gunning told The Telegraph. "But it has turned things around and you can hardly get hold of tickets now.

"The 160,000 tickets that went on sale for the last 'basho' in Tokyo sold out in just 45 minutes", he said.

"And yes, there has been a strong reaction to this latest incident - and that might worsen if it emerges that some sort of cover-up was attempted - but the scandals of six or seven years ago were far more serious", Mr Gunning said.

"There may be a short-term impact, but sumo is at an all-time high in terms of popularity and I don't see that changing", he added.