八百長疑惑 徹底解明が相撲協会の責務だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 4, 2011)
JSA must thoroughly probe match-fixing scandal
八百長疑惑　徹底解明が相撲協会の責務だ（2月3日付・読売社説）

Last year it was a baseball gambling scandal; now allegations of match-fixing have hit the world of professional sumo. This is a serious affair that may rock the foundations of the sport.
　野球賭博事件に続き、今度は八百長疑惑が持ち上がった。大相撲の屋台骨を揺るがしかねない深刻な不祥事である。

The Metropolitan Police Department found text messages implying that matches had been fixed on cell phones belonging to an incumbent juryo division wrestler and a sumo elder that were confiscated during investigations of the gambling scandal.
　警視庁が野球賭博事件の捜査で押収した現役の十両力士らの携帯電話から、八百長相撲をとっていたことをうかがわせるメールが見つかった。

A total of 13 people, including two elders who were wrestlers at the time of the alleged match-fixing, are suspected of involvement and one has reportedly admitted engaging in match-fixing.
関与が疑われる力士は１３人に上る。そのうち１人は、八百長を認めたという。

As there is no law against match-fixing, called "yaocho" in Japanese, the MPD reportedly plans not to pursue criminal charges.
　八百長そのものを罰する法律がないため、警視庁は立件を見送る方針だ。

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Fans surely angry

However, match-fixing is a betrayal of sumo fans, heinous behavior that shakes their confidence in the sport to its core.
しかし、八百長はファンへの裏切りであり、競技への信頼も根底から覆す極めて悪質な行為である。

"I feel very resentful," Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hanaregoma said at a press conference. It must be sumo fans, however, who are truly angry about the scandal.
　記者会見した日本相撲協会の放駒理事長は、「大変、憤りを感じる」と語ったが、憤っているのは、ファンの方だろう。

"Please begin the match with a strong initial charge and then continue on with the flow." "What should we do about the 200,000 [yen]?" These are confirmed examples of text messages that were exchanged between wrestlers, erased but recovered by the MPD.
　「立ち合いは強く当たって流れでお願いします」「２０万はどうします？」。警視庁が、消去されたメールを復元して確認したのは、こうしたやりとりだった。

They raise strong suspicions that the wrestlers confirmed how they would fight matches beforehand, and bought and sold victories.
　取り口を事前に確認したり、勝ち星を売買したりしていることを強く疑わせる内容である。

If match-fixing is rampant in the world of professional sumo, which considers itself the national sport, it may threaten the very existence of the JSA.
　国技を自任する大相撲に八百長が蔓延(まんえん)しているとすれば、相撲協会の存廃にもかかわる。

The association has questioned 12 of the 13 wrestlers and elders, and a special committee comprising members from outside the sumo world will conduct an investigation.
　相撲協会は、問題の１３人のうち１２人から事情を聞いた。今後、外部のメンバーによる特別調査委員会が調査を進める。

We hope the committee members will question all sumo wrestlers to quickly uncover the whole truth of the situation.
全力士からの聴取も行い、迅速かつ徹底的な解明を求めたい。

Wrestlers cannot escape heavy punishments, including dismissal, if they are confirmed to have been involved in match-fixing.
　八百長が確認された力士に対しては、解雇などの重い処分は避けられまい。

As in the baseball gambling scandal, wrestlers contacted each other through cell phone e-mails. Stablemasters who cannot monitor their apprentices' activities bear a heavy responsibility as supervisors.
　野球賭博事件の時と同様、力士たちは携帯電話のメールを利用して、やりとりを繰り返していた。弟子の行動に目が及ばない親方の管理責任も重い。

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No end to suspicions

Suspicions have been voiced a number of times regarding match-fixing in professional sumo. A former wrestler who once held one of three highest ranks below yokozuna even testified that he rigged bouts.
　大相撲では、幾度となく八百長疑惑が取りざたされてきた。三役も務めた元力士が、八百長相撲をとったと証言したこともある。

Nevertheless, the JSA has consistently claimed there is no match-fixing. At his press conference, JSA Chairman Hanaregoma said: "There was no match-fixing in the past."
　これに対し、相撲協会は、一貫して「八百長は存在しない」と主張してきた。

How can he say that so unequivocally when there has not been sufficient investigation?
　放駒理事長も、八百長について、「過去には一切、なかった」と否定したが、十分な調査もなしに、なぜそう言い切れるのか。

It is a fact that there are spiritless or lethargic matches--wrestlers are sometimes easily pushed out of the ring by their opponents, for example--which may cause viewers to suspect match-fixing.
　あっけなく土俵を割るなど、八百長を疑わせる無気力な取組があるのも事実である。

There must be quite a few fans who have suspected the existence of match-fixing for some time. We also would like the investigative committee to look into other grand sumo tournaments, not just the two currently under suspicion.
八百長への不信感を持ち続けていたファンも少なくないだろう。特別調査委には、過去にさかのぼった調査も実施してもらいたい。

Now is the time for the JSA to cleanse itself, something it has failed to do in past scandals.
　相撲協会は、これまでの不祥事で発揮できなかった自浄能力を、今度こそ示さねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 3, 2011)
（2011年2月3日01時01分 読売新聞）