[sumo] Asa may return to homeland

[Patrick Bal]

Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2007


Asa may return to homeland
Kyodo News
After a second psychiatric opinion it was confirmed Tuesday that Mongolian
yokozuna Asashoryu is indeed suffering from a form of acute stress, if not
full-blown mental depression. Asashoryu, who was slapped with a suspension
from two grand sumo tournaments, was examined Monday night at his Tokyo home
by a psychiatrist introduced by the Japan Sumo Association's medical
committee and was given nearly the same diagnosis he received Sunday. The
report by the JSA, however, said Asashoryu has "an acute type of stress,"
and although his stable elder Takasago interpreted the report as an
improvement from the previous diagnosis it is possible the stressed-out
yokozuna could be allowed to return to Mongolia sometime this week. "Of
course, he is not in good health, but I feel more relieved than the previous
diagnosis. We want to see how he does after the next few days," said
Takasago. Hiroyuki Yoshida, chief of the JSA's medical clinic that
administered the test, attended the examination and reported his findings to
Takasago