Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu, who drew harsh criticism for playing in a charity soccer event in his home country after opting to sit out the upcoming summer regional training tour citing injuries, could possibly be suspended from the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September, sumo sources said Tuesday. Asashoryu and his stable elder Takasago apologized for the fiasco to the Japan Sumo Association a day earlier, but the JSA is set to convene an emergency meeting to decide the fate of the 26-year-old on Wednesday. The yokozuna had submitted a medical certificate listing injuries, including a fractured lower back and ligament and nerve damage in his left elbow, before appearing on a Japanese TV program, gleefully running about a soccer pitch while firing off shots with agile moves. On Tuesday, Asashoryu received a diagnosis at a Tokyo hospital that he does not require hospitalization for his injuries but that he should continue treatment.
