Sumo craziness in a World of Over-reaction
The top sumo wrestler in Japan is a Mongolian man whose sumo name is Asashoryu. Until recently, he was the Yokozuna. This is the top rank in Sumo. He has been suspended from participating in tournaments because he told the sumo organization that he had a serious injury that would likely require hospitilization. Not a few weeks later, he was on TV playing soccer doing dives and running hard.
As I understand it, the Yokozuna is supposed to keep wresting unless he has a serious injury. Also, the Yokozuna is supposed to win all of his matches. Part of the debate is about whether or not Asashoryu said he had an injury when he didn't (or not significant enough to bar participation as these guys often wrestle with injuries) in order to stem a bit of a losing streak and maintain his Yokozuna title. His indiscretion written about in the Japan Times by the following:
"The yokozuna had submitted a medical certificate listing injuries, including a fractured lower back and ligament and nerve damage in his left elbow, before appearing on a Japanese TV program, gleefully running about a soccer pitch while firing off shots with agile moves."
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ss20070801a1.html
Of course, the Sumo organization has to do something because at this point, he looks like a lying cheat, and a not very intelligent one at that. If you're going to fake an injury, then do a good fake! If you're citing a back and elbow injury what are you doing trying to do the bicycle kick? I think most people can understand that behaviour as looking a whole lot like cheating. Asashoryu's punishment is that if he wants to continue sumo wresting then he can only spend time in his apartment or at the training centre and he can't wrestle in a match for 180 days (I think). I don't think that's too harsh considering his behavior. However, it's apparently too harsh for the Roppongi party boy who likes to go out and drink a lot. Asashoryu is free to do leave and do whatever he wants at anytime but if he wants to keep wrestling this is what he has to do.
Sumo is not just a sport, it's a pretty traditional lifestyle. Anyone who gets into sumo pretty much can figure that out before getting into it. I also think that flagrant dishonesty and trashing a sport's reputation (even if I'm not really into it) deserves some sort of punishment. But since sumo is not a big part of my life I mostly am annoyed by the news time given to a indiscrete cheater. I'm going with the idea that if he was too injured to wrestle he was cheating by playing in the soccer match.
What really annoys me is a news bit this morning that shows a group of Mongolians protesting Asashoryu's treatment as a human rights violation. A guy who has lied/cheated and is being disciplined by his sport's governing body but is free to leave any time he wants is a human rights violation? This idea really bothers me because I thought there were some really serious human rights violations going on in Mongolia. Things like people being vicitimized by governments, being arrested and put in jail without being charged or doing anything wrong. Adding to the lunacy is some Mongolian government official saying that this situation with Asashoryu could lead to diplomtic problems between the governments.
Get a grip! Asashoryu behaved like a spoiled child. His behaviour was dishonest at best and certainly not worth all the angst these people are feeling on his behalf. He chose to be in it and thereby chose to live by those rules. If he wants to keep wrestling he will have to live by those rules no matter how archaic they may seem. The important point is in all of these things, he has the choice. I understand that Asashoryu is a hero in his homeland, but this hero made a goof. Just let him pay the penalty for his goof and move on or let him walk away from the sumo world. Get over it. It is not a human rights violation or an international incident.