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Egyptian Osunaarashi asked to quit over unlicensed driving
Details
Written by Kyodo
Category: News
Published: 09 March 2018
Hits: 8
Osunaarashi © Mainichi
The Japan Sumo Association has asked Egyptian wrestler Osunaarashi to retire from the sport as punishment for being involved in a vehicle collision while driving unlicensed earlier this year, an official with the governing body revealed Friday.
The 26-year-old Osunaarashi, whose real name is Abdelrahman Shalan, has indicated he intends to comply with the request. The only punishment more severe would have been expulsion from the sport altogether.
The JSA's board of directors met in Osaka to determine punishment for Osunaarashi, the first professional sumo wrestler from Africa. He had had already been fined 500,000 yen ($4,700) by a court over the incident in central Japan's Nagano Prefecture in January.
The JSA has banned sumo wrestlers from driving following past traffic accidents involving them.
Investigative sources said Osunaarashi, who most recently competed in sumo's second-tier juryo division and was scheduled to compete in the upcoming Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in the third tier, hit another vehicle on Jan. 3 in the town of Yamanouchi.
He initially told the association that his wife was driving but later admitted to police he was behind the wheel, while security camera footage also confirmed he was the driver, the sources said.
Osunaarashi made his elite makuuchi division debut in 2013 and reached No. 1 maegashira, the sport's fifth-highest rank, in 2015.
Swami
Details
Written by Kyodo
Category: News
Published: 09 March 2018
Hits: 8
Osunaarashi © Mainichi
The Japan Sumo Association has asked Egyptian wrestler Osunaarashi to retire from the sport as punishment for being involved in a vehicle collision while driving unlicensed earlier this year, an official with the governing body revealed Friday.
The 26-year-old Osunaarashi, whose real name is Abdelrahman Shalan, has indicated he intends to comply with the request. The only punishment more severe would have been expulsion from the sport altogether.
The JSA's board of directors met in Osaka to determine punishment for Osunaarashi, the first professional sumo wrestler from Africa. He had had already been fined 500,000 yen ($4,700) by a court over the incident in central Japan's Nagano Prefecture in January.
The JSA has banned sumo wrestlers from driving following past traffic accidents involving them.
Investigative sources said Osunaarashi, who most recently competed in sumo's second-tier juryo division and was scheduled to compete in the upcoming Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in the third tier, hit another vehicle on Jan. 3 in the town of Yamanouchi.
He initially told the association that his wife was driving but later admitted to police he was behind the wheel, while security camera footage also confirmed he was the driver, the sources said.
Osunaarashi made his elite makuuchi division debut in 2013 and reached No. 1 maegashira, the sport's fifth-highest rank, in 2015.
Swami