The Spring Grand Sumo Tournament will be moved from its traditional Osaka venue to Tokyo to limit the mass travel of wrestlers and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, the Japan Sumo Association announced.
The 15-day tournament, starting March 14, will be the fifth straight to be held at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan since last year’s July meet was moved from Nagoya and November’s tourney was shifted from Fukuoka.
March’s grand tournament went ahead last year in Osaka without spectators, the first time in the ancient sport’s history that had happened.
The JSA was aiming to hold the upcoming meet in Osaka after its staff and infection specialists inspected Edion Arena Osaka to implement virus countermeasures.
Source: www.japantimes.co.jp