Sumo supremos review female ban

TOKYO - The Japan Sumo Association says it will consider outside opinions from experts and the public over its much-criticized policy of banning women from entering the sumo ring.

The association held an extraordinary meeting of its board on Saturday. It did not reach a decision regarding the ban but did clarify that women can enter the ring in times of an "emergency" as an exception, Kyodo News agency reported.

The association came under fire in early April when it ordered female first responders to leave the ring as they attempted to revive an official who collapsed at an event in northern Kyoto.