Plan drafted to push gangs out of sumo / Panel urges disciplinary, PR measures

The Yomiuri Shimbun

An independent panel of the Japan Sumo Association tasked with improving the JSA's governance and making organizational reforms in the wake of the sumo world's illegal gambling scandal has compiled a draft plan to eliminate gangsters' influence, which would penalize sumo wrestlers and officials if they contact gangsters or engage in gambling or match-fixing.

The panel, chaired by Takayasu Okushima, chairman of the Japan High School Baseball Federation, also proposes setting up a council for eradicating gangster influence, in cooperation with the National Police Agency and the National Center for the Elimination of Boryokudan (gangs).

The panel will urge that the sumo association issue a declaration that gang influence is to be eliminated and make continuous efforts toward that end.

The panel will make the final plan based on the draft at its third meeting, to be held Saturday, and will submit it to a meeting of the sumo association's board of directors.

The draft stipulates that the JSA will:

-- Prohibit its members from associating with gangsters and receiving or demanding benefits from them.

-- Prohibit its members from gambling on sumo matches.

-- Oblige people in the sumo world to report to the chairman of the association if they know of information about improper actions.

-- Have the proposed antigang council engage in public-relations and educational activities to end gang influence.

-- Have the council implement study sessions and other activities to drive out gangsters from the sumo world.

-- Declare that the association severs all ties with gangsters.

According to sources in the sumo world, the panel's draft was made with the case of professional baseball, which has been successful in eliminating the influence of gangsters, as a reference.

The panel urges that a gangster prohibition clause be included in the sumo association's governing codes.

If wrestlers or other members of the association are found to have improper relations with gangsters or habitual gamblers, the association chairman would impose a reprimand or stricter punishments.

The wrestlers or members would also be prohibited from taking any posts in the sumo association.

Punishments would also be imposed on actions to fix matches, and this rule would be applied to wrestlers, coaches and all other members of the association.

Relevant people who are not association members, such as workers in sumo information centers and organizers of sumo events, would have their contracts with the association terminated if they are found to violate the gangster prohibition clause.

Members of the sumo association would be also punished if they fail to report to the chairman when they have information about violations.

The council would be chaired by the JSA chairman. The council would engage in activities to drive out gangsters through study sessions, public-relations activities and educational activities for association members.

The association's declaration would vow to take strict measures against unlawful deeds and to cut all ties with gangsters.

The measures will likely be implemented by the time of September's grand sumo tournament, if they are approved by the sumo association's directors meeting.

About special spectator's seats for sponsors, which triggered problems when it was found that gangsters had sat in the seats during past tournaments, the sumo association presented a plan under which the association itself would directly manage such seats in the future.

The association told a meeting of the panel held Saturday in the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo that provision of the special seats will have to be reported to the association.

Also, when persons other than the association's sponsors use the special seats, another form of reporting would be required, the association proposed.

Tickets for the special seats can be obtained by individuals and corporations who have paid sponsor fees to the association.

To sit in the seats, spectators have had to show both their certificate as sponsors and numbered tickets.

But it was confirmed that gangsters sat in the special seats using only the numbered tickets in many cases in the past, and the system has been criticized as being nominal.