After winning the Nagoya tournament, Asashoryu told the JSA on July 25 that he would not take part in the summer sumo tour, submitting a doctor’s certificate that said his injuries, including a fractured lower back and a damaged ligament, needed some six weeks to heal.
However, instead of resting… Asashoryu played in a charity soccer game in his homeland, prompting JSA officials to criticize him for exaggerating his injury and pulling out of the summer tour.
Japanese news reporting about Asa’s incident; former Japanese soccer star Hidetoshi Nakata was also playing in the charity match…