Fat-Fingered Sumo Wrestlers to Get Apple iPads

The Japan Sumo Association announced on Tuesday that wrestlers will be getting Apple iPads as part of an effort to improve communication between coaches, wrestlers and association officials.

Sumo wrestlers weigh an average of 150kg. Their hands are big, therefore their fingers are big as well.

Wrestlers have found it difficult to write email on their cell phones or PCs, sometimes pressing two or even three keys at once, according to one source, quoted by the Financial Times (FT.com)

“When they try to send e-mail on mobile phones or PCs they often end up pressing two or three keys at once,” the daily Nikkan Sports said.

iPads may be better suited for sumo wrestlers, Japan Sumo Association concluded.

The move follows a series of scandals that have cost Japan’s national sport a great deal of sponsorship and television exposure, FT.com reports.

A number of top JSA officials will also be receiving iPads. The association is spending roughly 3 million yen, or about $35,644 on the initiative.

According to the JSA, internal messages used to be sent by telephone or fax. The iPad now seems a far better choice, the association noted.

“With faxes you can’t be sure if the message was actually received but with e-mail we can prevent that,” the JSA said. “Plus, you can carry them around.”

However, the iPad’s ability to put a large keyboard in the hands of sumo wrestlers may not be the only reason the JSA decided to ship in the tablets.

FT.com points out to experts saying that one of the iPad’s strong points is its appeal to computer-illiterate consumers - people who otherwise would have never bought one.

The iPad’s appeal to the old population is also cited as a plus, thanks to the tablet’s large display, and few external controls.

Several Japanese municipalities have sponsored classes to teach the elderly about Apple’s iPad, the report adds.