Hakuho, the Mongolian -born former Grand Champion, which is widely regarded as Sumo Wrestling’s biggest competitor, has resigned from the Japan Sumo Association following a dispute with the sports governing body.
The sanction stammered from accusations that Hakuho could not monitor a wrestler in his training stal.
Hakuho’s stable was closed a year ago. Japanese media reports say that wrestler dealt with physical violence. But closing a barn instead of just punishing an individual wrestler was unusual.
He did not directly criticize the professional Japan Sumo Association, but he said that Wrestlers, who had trained under him, were treated unfairly.
Hakuho, who got Japanese citizenship, said he had been in conversations with the association, but recently decided to stop because there was no hope of reopening his stable.
“After 25 years of loving sumo and being loved by Sumo, I will move on to a new dream,” Hakuho told journalists Monday at a Tokyo hotel.
Hakuho said he wants to create an organ to control Sumo outside Japan – “World Sumo Project.”
“When I think of my situation, I think it’s best to contribute to Sumo from the outside,” he said, wearing a dark suit and referring to the Japan Sumo Association.
When he performed with a lawyer and other officials he had tapped for his team, Hakuho said they got business sponsors to support the Sumo Grand Slams, which draws amateur sumo -wrestlers from all over the world, including children and women.
Hakuho said he was friends with Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda, who has expressed interest in supporting his efforts. Toyota already supports various amateur and professional sports activities.
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Many consider the Mongolia-born Hakuko as the greatest champion in the history of the sport, and he has many of its posts.
Hahuko’s late father, who went under the given name Monkhbat, was an Olympic silver medalist for Mongolia in 1968. He also competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.
Sumo includes very strict rules and traditions that have caused other top wrestlers to pursue careers outside the sport.
Hahuko withdrew from Active Wrestling in 2021.