Japan's sumo association said Monday it would cancel its upcoming tournament and aim to hold the following one behind closed doors, as the country extended a state of emergency over the coronavirus.
The next sumo "basho" or tournament had been scheduled to begin on May 24, after organisers of the nation's ancient sport delayed the event by two weeks over the pandemic.
But chairman Hakkaku said in a statement that the association had decided to cancel the May tournament "in order to secure the health and safety of fans and people involved."