According to Mainichi, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) has suspended Asashoryu Akinori for two upcoming tournaments after he played in a charity soccer game in Mongolia despite having sat out a regional sumo tour in Japan after claiming to be injured.
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…