Former yokozuna Hakuho, who assumed the name Miyagino when he took over the stable of the same name and became a sumo elder, left the Japan Sumo Association Monday, saying later in the day that his distrust for the body led him to quit and start a new international project aimed at amateur sumo wrestlers.
The impetus for the decision, Hakuho said, was the failure of the JSA to provide a clear timeline about the restoration of Miyagino stable, which was shut down in late March 2024 amid a bullying scandal involving one of its wrestlers.
“April marked a full year after the stable shut down, but there was no specific date (on when the stable will resume) which was a big reason for me to quit,” said Hakuho, who returned to Japan from Mongolia, his home country, on Saturday.
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