The match-fixing scandal that came to light this year has cost the Japan Sumo Association a lot in several ways. Seven wrestlers in the makuuchi division and 10 in the juryo division have been driven out of the sumo world. The JSA was forced to give up on holding the Spring and Summer Grand Sumo Tournaments scheduled for March and May. It is said to have lost more than ¥1 billion in revenues.
In place of the summer tournament, JSA started the Technical Examination Tournament on May 8 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tickets are free. There are no live TV broadcasts. No prize money from sponsors is provided for individual matches.
At the outset of the tournament, JSA head Hanaregoma said he will do his best to eradicate the problem and to restore the public's trust in sumo. All wrestlers and other JSA members should keep in mind what he said and earnestly do their part in support of what he intends to achieve.