Sumo Wrestlers on Dope

You thought Michael Phelps sucking on a bong was scandalous? It's nothing compared to the sumo drug scandal in Japan: In the past six months, four wrestlers have been kicked out of the ancient sport for allegedly smoking marijuana, creating the biggest drugs-in-sports scandal that Japan has ever seen. More from AP... Sumo is an ancient sport, possibly 3,000 years old. According to essortment.com, "The earliest written mention of Sumo is found in the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), a book from the year 712, which is the oldest example of Japanese writing. The Kojiki relates a legend about how possession of the Japanese islands was determined by a Sumo match 2,500 years ago between the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata." The sumo scandals broke last summer. Business Week wrote about it in September, 2008: It’s hardly the only bad publicity for sumo, lately. Last year, the sport’s training practices came under fire after the head of a sumo stable, or training gym, was arrested for allegedly beating a young wrestler. The 17-year-old wrestler, who had run away from the stable, later died of his injuries. Also last year the sport’s top-ranked wrestler, Asashoryu, was suspended for feigning an injury and playing in a charity soccer match in his home country of Mongolia. More from Business Week... Huge fat guys in loin cloths stoned out of their minds and looking for a fight. Think about that. MORE: Pot scandal jolts Japan’s sumo world - AtlantaHeadlines.com Japan's sumo fans hold on despite scandals - Los Angeles Times Sumo wrestling history, the Ancient Japanese sport Nihon Sumo Kyokai Official Grand Sumo Home Page CNB RSS Feed