A top-ranked sumo wrestler has tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. The Japan Sumo Association said that the wrestler Hakuho underwent a polymerase chain reaction after detecting problems with his sense of smell.
The association said that the wrestler had been preparing for a tournament that begins this weekend. There was no immediate report on his exact condition.
According to a report of PTI, Hakuho is the first top-ranked sumo wrestler who tested positive of the virus.
Hakuho is a "yokozuna," a grand champion in sumo wrestling, and one of the best the traditional Japanese sport has ever seen. In an interview last year he pointed out that his late father was a silver medalist in wrestling for Mongolia in the 1968 Olympics. He also competed in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Japan, with a population of 125 million, has managed the coronavirus pandemic relatively well, with about 3,500 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
But new cases have been surging over the last several weeks and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been asked to impose a "state of emergency" for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.
