Mongolian firebrand Asashoryu has been banned for the next two grand sumo tournaments for playing soccer while supposedly injured.

The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) said yesterday that Asashoryu would receive a 30 per cent pay cut for four months on top of his suspension.

The 150-kilogramme Mongolian stunned Japan's ancient sport by taking part in a charity soccer match in his home country after pulling out of a regional sumo tour with a back injury.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.