Record-breaking sumo champion Hakuho has tested positive for Covid-19 just days before the New Year tournament, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) said.

The JSA said Hakuho was tested after noticing a loss of smell, and that other members of the Miyagino stable who are thought to have come into contact with him would be tested, AFP reported.

The Mongolian-born 35-year-old, who has won a record 44 tournaments and holds sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, had been preparing for the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, which starts Sunday in Tokyo.

A JSA spokesperson said his participation in the basho, or tournament, was as yet undecided, but the competition was set to go ahead as scheduled.