A sumo wrestling grand champion has been fined thousands of yen in Japan for hitting a junior wrestler with a karaoke remote control.

33-year-old Harumafuji Kohei, originally from Mongolia, had been accused of slapping and hitting Takanoiwa Yoshimori (27) with the remote control for checking his phone during a night out in the city of Tottori last October.

While it was initially feared Takanoiwa's skull was fractured, it was later revealed that his injuries weren't so severe and there were no symptoms of skull fracture or brain fluid leakage.

A Japanese court has now ordered Harumafuji to pay 500,000 yen (€3,675) for assaulting Takanoiwa, also originally from Mongolia.

Harumafuji had reached the rare sumo wrestling rank of yokozuna in 2012, but was forced to resign late last year over the incident.

After being found guilty of assault last week, the former champion said in a statement released by his lawyer: "Because of this incident, my life as Harumafuji is now set to be sharply different from what I thought it would be.

"I have a feeling of chagrin, to be honest. But the responsibility is all mine."