TOKYO, April 23 (UPI) -- The Japan Sumo Association has conducted its first random drug tests on Japanese wrestlers, Kyodo news service reported Thursday.
The tests were done by Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corp., Japan's only institution certified by WADA, (the world's anti-doping agency) after a series of marijuana arrests this year tarnished the ancient national sport's image, the Japanese news agency said. The test results are expected to be released later.
Among those arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana was a second-division wrestler, 25-year-old Wakakirin, whose real name is Shinichi Suzuki.
He was charged with marijuana possession Jan. 30 in Tokyo and was sentenced Wednesday in a Yokohama district court to a 10-month prison term.
The report said JSA chief Musashigawa recently apologized to Education Minister Ryu Shionoya for the recent drug scandals and promised to aggressively implement random urine tests to curb drug use.
In late February, the JSA set new anti-doping rules, under which all of its members are tested without warning.
