Two sumo coaches who provided ringside seats to members of a notorious crime syndicate have been punished by the Japan Sumo Association.
The JSA demoted coach and former wrestler Higonoumi on Thursday for his part in providing syndicate members with front row seats for the Nagoya tournament last July. Coach and former wrestler Dairyugawa was given an undisclosed punishment.
The 40-year-old Higonoumi told sumo officials he didn't know the tickets were getting into the hands of the mob, saying the tickets were handed on by a third party.
Japanese media reported that gangsters sought the ringside tickets so that imprisoned members watching sumo on TV could see them.
AP