Sumo wrestler to escape punishment for latest outburst

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Sumo’s enfant terrible Asashoryu looks likely to escape punishment for his latest public outburst in which he told photographers to "drop dead".

The incident came after the firebrand Mongolian completed his comeback to the roly-poly sport following a ban for secretly playing football while claiming to be injured.

Photographers waiting to snap Asashoryu on his return to Japan from Hawaii on Monday got an earful from the trouble-prone grand champion, who snarled: "Drop dead, you idiots."

But Japan Sumo Association (JSA) officials brushed off Asashoryu’s remarks, saying they did not want to hear the wrestler’s side of events.

"We have no plans to call him in," senior JSA official Isenoumi told Thursday’s Nikkan Sports daily. "He says he didn’t say it so he probably didn’t.

"We do not want to get into an argument of ’he said it...he didn’t say it’. I have only read about it in the papers."

Japanese media were also quick to point out that the 150-kilogram Asashoryu had boarded his flight in Honolulu wearing shorts, sandals and a flowery Hawaiian shirt in a breach of sumo protocol.

"That ’Aloha’ style is the dress code in Hawaii," said Isenoumi. "He was properly dressed in his kimono at Kansai airport (in Osaka) .....continued below

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Asashoryu’s ban last August, after being caught playing soccer, triggered a bout of clinical depression in the wrestler, who fled to Mongolia to recover.

He finally returned from lengthy treatment at a luxury spa resort in November, apologising for his actions and promising to mend his ways.

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer; Editing by Ed Osmond)