http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/07/13/sports/s055152D64.DTL
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- The sport of sumo has a way to go to win back the trust of the Japanese public if the attendance at this week's tournament is any indication. Only about half the seats were taken at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, which marks the return of the sport after a bout-fixing scandal that shocked the nation. Sumo shut its doors in March to conduct an internal investigation after it was revealed up to 25 wrestlers and coaches were involved in throwing bouts. The scandal became a national embarrassment because sumo is regarded as a symbol of Japanese culture, and not merely a sport. Unlike other sports, the sumo association has special status that affords it tax benefits, and its wrestlers appear in public clad in traditional robes and wear their hair in top knots. To combat match fixing, wrestlers and coaches have been banned from bringing their mobile phones into the dressing rooms in Nagoya. Cell phones were found to have been commonly used to rig matches and place bets. Only about 3,700 fans showed up Monday at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium on the second day of competition, about half of what the stadium holds. The crowds weren't much better on Tuesday. "Sumo was rotten to the core," said office worker Tadahito Matsumoto, who said he'll not attend the tournament. "It's going to take more than a slap on the wrist to clean it up. You need to look at the people who run the sport." The Nagoya event is the first official tournament since January. The alleged bout-fixing came to light when police were examining text messages on cell phones confiscated after wrestlers used their phones to place bets on professional baseball games. The wrestlers and coaches who were found to be fixing matches were expelled from the sport and two tournaments were called off completely — the first such cancellations in 65 years — as sumo grappled with what many considered the worst scandal in its history. On the first day of the Nagoya tournament, Japan Sumo Associated chairman Hanaregoma bowed deeply and apologized to fans, promising that the sport would make every effort to win back public trust. But the apology rang hollow to many, a lot like the one Hanaregoma made over the previous scandal. "The sport has not been cleaned up at all," said sumo columnist Mark Buckton. "They have just weathered the storm. As long as the current bosses are in place, sumo is not going to be cleaned up." Some were surprised by the degree of outrage over the betting scandal. "We've all known this has been going on for a long time," said sports commentator Masayuki Tamaki. "I'm not so worried about bout fixing. What I want to see is interesting sumo." One factor taking away interest among local fans is that local Japanese wrestlers have largely been eclipsed by foreign competitors. Sumo has not had a Japanese grand champion since Takanohana retired in 2003. Mongolians Asashoryu and Hakuho are the only wrestlers to reach that rank since. That only added to the challenge sumo faces to retain relevancy in Japan's crowded sports scene where other sports like baseball and soccer dominate. "I don't think they've done enough, but hopefully they got rid of all the guys who fixed matches," Buckton said. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World News Now Discussion List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/wnndl?hl=en.
