JAPAN TODAY


 

With the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament set to open Sunday, a medical center near the competition venue has taken possession of a heavy-duty wheelchair built to transport the sport's heftiest wrestlers.

The chair, designed to accommodate patients weighing up to 300 kilograms, was presented Friday to the medical center affiliated with Nagoya City University Medical School. The facility is located a short distance from the newly built IG Arena, where the 15-day tournament will run through July 27.

The device was demonstrated by sumo's current heaviest competitor, fourth-tier sandanme wrestler Dewanojo, who tips the scales at 252 kg.
"The risk of injury is always there in sumo," Dewanojo said. "Having a wheelchair that's big enough provides peace of mind."

A Nagoya-based nursing home operator donated the German-made wheelchair, one of the largest in the world, according to the medical center.
It will also be on hand for use at next year's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Asian Para Games.