28-year-old sumo wrestler dies in Japan from coronavirus

A 28-year-old sumo wrestler died on Wednesday from the coronavirus. The Japan Sumo Association confirmed the death and identified the wrestler as Shoubushi, whose real name was Kiyotaka Suetake. The association said he died of multiple-organ failure.

He is reported to have been the first sumo wrestler to die from the virus, and among the youngest to die in Japan. The sumo association said the wrestler developed a fever on April 4 but could not get a test or find a hospital until his symptoms worsened and he was accepted four days later. He was moved to an intensive care unit on April 19. 

The Summer Grand Sumo Tournament scheduled to take place from May 24 to June 7 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan was canceled earlier this month over fears of further spreading the virus. A large event later this summer is still scheduled to go ahead and is to be held without spectators. Japan has recorded almost 16,000 cases of COVID-19 and 657 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University