For many sumo fans looking back at 2008, it will be a year of scandal with yaocho (match-fixing) allegations involving Yokozuna Asashoryu, and also the unfinished case surrounding the death of a young rikishi in mid-2007, still making their way through the infamously slow court system.
While a part of the case surrounding former Tokitaizan's beating death has been resolved — the three rikishi involved each already being sentenced — the punishment of Tokitsukaze Oyakata has still not been finalized.
As for the yaocho allegations, the case being brought by certain individuals in the Sumo Association against a Japanese magazine claiming that bout-fixing is rife in the sport will apparently wrap up in late March 2009.
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