Suspension-hit Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu will not be granted permission to travel to his homeland, his stable elder Takasago said Thursday. Takasago made clear his stance to reporters after talks lasting about 90 minutes with Asashoryu, who has been suspended from two grand sumo tournaments and is suffering from a form of acute stress. Asashoryu was suspended from the autumn meet in September and the Kyushu meet in November after it was discovered that he played in a charity soccer match in Mongolia, despite having cited injuries that allowed him to sit out of a regional summer tour. He has been confined to his house until the final day of the autumn meet on Nov. 25 and is not permitted to go out and socialize as part of the punitive measure.
