The taint of gangsters on the Japan Sumo Association goes far beyond their presence at the basho.
A number of rikishi, most prominent among them being Ozeki Kotomitsuki, have been found to be
involved in illegal gambling on baseball, using members of the mob as intermediaries.
Kotomitsuki's involvement came to light after newspaper reports that he was being blackmailed by
gangsters. In an attempt to flush out the truth, the Kyokai initially offered an amnesty to
anyone confessing in writing to gambling. This amnesty was then withdrawn after Kotomitsuki and
others had confessed. Just prior to the recent Nagoya Basho Kotomitsuki was dismissed.
It will be no consolation to Kotomitsuki that the sucker punch
delivered to him has also left the Kyokai itself gasping for air.
Original Images used in creation of the morph:
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Sadogatake Beya's Kotookuyama by Martina Lunau |
