A 17-year-old sumo wrestler died from heart failure after training this week. Tokitaizan, whose real name is Takashi Saito, suffered discomfort after training on Tuesday for a Nagoya tournament. He was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Tokitaizan was ranked 39th in sumo's junior rankings. Most sumo wrestlers intentionally put on weight but can face heart problems in later life. Some of the biggest wrestlers weigh over 200 kilograms.
Weightlifter forced to quit college
South Korea's world weightlifting champion Jang Mi-ran has been forced to quit college after her former team invoked a rarely used rule on team registration. Jang upset Wonju City provincial government by moving to a new club earlier this year, prompting them to take action.
The Olympic silver medallist had to abandon her studies because of the Korea Sports Council's policy banning employed athletes from competing as students. The rule is rarely invoked but Jang opted to leave college rather than risk censure in future competitions.
Islamic boxer banned
An Australian boxer who refused to provide a urine sample because of his religious beliefs has been found guilty of a doping offence and banned from competing at next year's Beijing Olympics.
Omar Shaick was suspended for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for his refusal to submit a sample at last year's Australian national amateur championships. Shaick said it was against his Muslim beliefs to expose his genitals to strangers.
Police kill 13 in raid before Games
Brazilian police killed 13 suspected gangsters during five hours of gunbattles in a Rio de Janeiro slum this week in a show of force before next month's Pan American Games.
More than 1,300 policemen backed by armoured cars invaded the Alemao slum, or favela, in a raid aimed at arresting drug traffickers and seizing drugs and weapons.
It was a particularly bloody day even by Rio's standards and the violence reinforced concerns about public security during the Pan American Games, which start on July 13.