Sumo: tickets for all 90 match days sold out for the first time in 28 years

This aerial photo taken from a Mainichi Shimbun helicopter shows the Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward. (Mainiti

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Sumo tickets have sold out for all 15 days of each of this year’s six grand tournaments, including the upcoming one in Fukuoka, the Japan Sumo Association said Saturday.

In a sign of resurgence in popularity, the event is the first year-round sellout since 1996, when the sport received a huge boost from brothers Wakanohana and Takanohana.

The ancient sport has struggled after a series of scandals, including a match-fixing problem in 2011, but attendance has bounced back, with about 80 per cent of seats filled on competition days between 2017 and 2019.

The Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, the final tournament of 2024, will begin on November 10, with a big focus on new ozeki Onosato.

In September, Onosato won his second top division title in three tournaments and moved up to second place at a record pace in nine professional meetings.