The Aug. 4 editorial, "A grand champion is rebuked," makes me skeptical of the writer's sporting expertise. In my experience, one can still participate in relatively low-contact sports like soccer even with injuries if it is just for fun. Asashoryu was playing in a charity soccer game, which is not nearly as painful an activity as a sumo match. I can still run around a pitch with strains, sprains and fractures, but could not participate in a grappling or rugby match with the same injuries.
There is something here that the Japanese media do not seem to grasp: If Asashoryu had children, would he be prevented from kicking a soccer ball around with his kids? It seems the sumo association and Japanese media expect Asashoryu to confine himself to a couch and not lift a finger following his claim of injuries to prove that he really can't participate in a sumo tournament. This mentality is ridiculous.
I was filled with disgust watching the morning news programs report on Asashoryu's mental state after being suspended. The reaction from the talking heads was that Asashoryu was acting like a child.