A woman invaded a sumo ring -- a sacred arena from which females are banned -- during the autumn grand tournament in Tokyo, then was pulled down by a referee and one of the wrestlers, domestic media said yesterday.
The middle-aged woman in blue jeans and a green T-shirt dashed from the side of the Kokugikan sumo stadium on Wednesday and shoved away a female security guard before rolling onto the ring just as a bout was set to begin, the Yomiuri newspaper said.
The Japan Sumo Association insisted that though the woman did enter the raised platform around the batting ring, she did not set foot on the ring, or dohyo, itself.
PHOTO: AP
"We do not consider that she entered the ring," the official said, adding the association had no plans to press charges against her.
But sports tabloids dismissed the association's view and splashed photos of the woman on their front pages.
"They certainly blocked her from entering the fighting ring and there was no hindrance to matches, but nonetheless a 1,400-year history was broken since a woman was on the ring," the Nikkan Sports daily wrote.
"It's bad for the heart," Takamisakari, a popular wrestler who helped catch the woman, told the Sports Nippon daily. "What was the person trying to do while we were wrestling seriously?"
It was not clear why she had attempted to reach the ring during one of the sport's heavily televised six big tournaments, but she was carrying a bundle of flyers saying "help, bad spirits," Nikkan Sports said.
Sumo is linked to the Shinto faith, whose rituals strictly forbid any contact with blood, such as that shed by women during menstruation and childbirth.
Women, considered to lack purity, were not even allowed to watch sumo until the late 19th century.
The woman who broke into the mound was taken to a nearby police station but later released, reports said.
Her identity and motive were unclear.
-HAKUHO RECOVERS
Grand champion Hakuho swatted down Aminishiki on Thursday to move back into a tie for the lead at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
Hakuho, who lost to Toyonoshima on Wednesday, hauled sekiwake Aminishiki down in the day's final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan to move into a tie with Goeido at 10-2.
Aminishiki, who started the tournament with eight wins, lost his fourth straight bout.
Hakuho is bidding for his first title at sumo's highest rank.
In an earlier bout, Mongolian Ama overpowered upstart No. 14 maegashira Goeido to keep him in the chase for the Emperor's Cup.
Ama lifted Goeido up from behind and threw him down to the dirt surface and only his second loss of the tournament.
Komusubi Ama improved to 9-3 and is tied with three others one win off the pace.
Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu got both hands on the belt of Takakaze and toppled the No. 8 maegashira to improve to 8-4.
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