InsideJapan News Network

Match fixing is a deep-rooted problem in Japanese sumo wrestling, a special investigation panel has concluded.

The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) commissioned the report, which claims that it is likely that more people were involved in the scandal than the 25 who have so far been punished, Kyodo News reports.

Senior sumo figures had fully denied that any match-fixing took place within the sport, before it was revealed in February that rigging of bouts had occurred.

Waseda University professor Shigeru Ito, chairman of the panel that submitted the report, said: "We did everything we could, but we didn't uncover every stone and there's still a lot we don't know about."

The panel's conclusions were based on a series of text messages sent between wrestlers and individual testimony.

Many of those accused have complained, saying that the allegations are baseless and the investigation lacked the hard evidence to come to any concrete conclusions.

Written by Mark Smith


Related news stories:
Sumo star warned over drug injections (9th November 2011)
Pilot shows there's life after sumo (16th October 2008)
Top Japan sumo wrestler retires (6th October 2008)
Yokozuna Asashoryu suffers first-day sumo defeat (12th May 2008)
Former sumo star sports police badge (13th September 2011)