[sumo] Should the Kyokai get involved in the Waka-Taka thing?

["Barbara Ann" <baklein@attglobal.net>]

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20050616p2a00m0dm004000c.html
 
 
Waka-Taka rift creates headaches for sumo rulers






Media coverage of the bitter feud between former yokozuna pair Takanohana
and Wakanohana following their father's death last month has resulted in a
spate of irate calls to the Japan Sumo Association, the ancient sport's
ruling body.

A long-gaping rift between Takanohana, now a stablemaster, and his elder
brother, now a TV celebrity using his real name, Masaru Hanada, seems to
have become even deeper since the funeral for their father, the late
Stablemaster Futagoyama, on June 13.

Some fans complaining to the JSA say Takanohana's over-exposure has made the
split seem worse than it is. He openly said in front of TV cameras that the
certificate of the rights entitling elder status in the sumo word has been
lost from the stable and accused his elder brother for intervening of the
running of the family's stable.

Hanada is trying to put a lid on the coverage, contacting the country's main
media bodies earlier this week to say that his differences with his brother
were a family matter and stating that he wanted to refrain from any further
comment.

The rift between Waka-Taka, as the pair are commonly referred to in
Japanese, has titillated the public here. However, what caused the rift, or
who is the party at fault, doesn't really matter as far as the sport is
concerned. Sumo is already struggling with dwindling attendances and the
Waka-Taka split is unlikely to have a positive affect on attempts to regain
the sport's lost popularity. Fans tend to view such spats with severity.

It's also difficult to understand the JSA's stance regarding Takanohana. It
has remained silent, with Kitanoumi, the JSA's chairman, saying the rift is
a private matter the sumo association does not want to get involved in.

But the JSA had no problem getting involved in a private matter regarding
one of its members in the autumn last year when a weekly magazine ran an
expose on the poor relations between Stablemaster Isegahama and his
relative. Isegahama was punished for having caused problems for the
association. 

The JSA must move, whether it's to hear the story or to advise its
protagonists on how to act.

Takanohana was respected for putting in hard at practice and achieving
results without ever making excuses. Seeing him show how poor his relations
are with his brother in front of the cameras makes him look bizarre.

Perhaps the sumo dynasty's sons would do well to heed the words of their
uncle, the first Yokozuna Wakanohana. 

"Sumo wrestlers shouldn't talk. They should provide an example through
action," he said. (By Jo Kamiuse, Mainichi Shimbun Sumo Writer)

 


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[EndPost by "Barbara Ann" <baklein@attglobal.net>]