Yokozuna Harumafuji was charged over a brutal assault on a rival while out drinking in 2017, ending his illustrious career
A file photo of a sumo bout in Japan
Japanese sumo officials have introduced a crackdown on beards, calling them "indecent" and telling wrestlers they must look spick and span during competitions under strict, new rules on grooming.
The ban is part of fresh regulations also barring tattoos and long nails as the authorities look to clean up the image of Japan's roly-poly sport. Superstitious sumo wrestlers often decline to shave their beards as they believe it brings them luck, but the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) have decided they will no longer tolerate such slovenliness. "Wrestlers must preserve their personal hygiene," JSA elder Oguruma told reporters after a board meeting.
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"Officials and referees will be on the lookout. The sumo ring is sacred and it's important spectators don't see anything unsightly." Grand champion Kakuryu said: "It's an important point so we must absolutely adhere to it."
The ancient sport has been hit by a series of scandals in recent years — from allegations of bout-fixing and the involvement of organised crime to drugs arrests and severe bullying, the most serious case resulting in the death of a teenage wrestler in 2007.
Yokozuna Harumafuji was charged over a brutal assault on a rival while out drinking in 2017, ending his illustrious career. Believed by historians to date back some 2,000 years, sumo was plunged into further controversy when women, who rushed to the aid of a local mayor, who had collapsed during a speech, were repeatedly told to leave the ring, creating a flurry of embarrassing headlines.
The JSA was forced to make an apology after being accused of deep-rooted sexism. Days later, a female mayor from the western city of Takarazuka was barred from delivering a speech inside the sandy ring.
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