Sumo champion Huko tests positive for COVID-19

Hakuhō Shō one of the top Japenese sumo wrestlers tested positive for COVID-19. The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) announced on Tuesday that Hakuho was having an issue with his sense of smell and underwent a PCR test and is found infected with coronavirus

Hakuho was preparing for the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament which has going to be held in Tokyo on Sunday.
There is no current update on his health condition and the organizers have not announced whether the tournament will be postponed or not.

Hakuho is a 35-year-old Mongolian-born sumo wrestler who has won 44 top-division titles. He is also the longest-serving yokozuna (top-ranked sumo wrestler) of all time.
Other Members of Hakuho’s Minato sumo stable will undergo PCR tests for precaution.

Hakuho belongs to a family of wrestlers. His father, Jigjidiin Mönkhbat won the silver medal in the men’s Freestyle Middleweight category for Mongolia in the 1968 Olympics and also competed in Tokyo Olympics held in 1964.

On Friday the officials announced a cluster of infections at a different stable. Eight lower-division trainees and a hairdresser were also found infected with COVID-19.

A 28-year-old Sumo wrestler Shobushi also lost his life due to COVID-19 last year in May. His organ failure due to the contraction of coronavirus leads to his death.

Japan has tackled coronavirus cases every effectively. The total population of Japan is 125 million and 3,500 deaths due to COVID-19 from a little over 250,000 cases but the recent uprise in cases is causing trouble to the healthcare system.

Yoshihide Suga, Prime minister of Japan on Thursday has announced a state of emergency for the capital city and neighborhood prefectures.