The March sumo-wrestling tournament began this week, with the Mongolian champions Asashoryu and Hakuho expected to dominate.

In a sign of sumo’s growing popularity, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) announced that the prize money for this tournament is over 1,000, the first time it has ever happened for a tournament not hosted in Tokyo.

It is the traditional custom for prize money to be awarded by ‘banners’, with each banner located around the ring and representing approximately US$600, meaning this tournament is worth over US$600,000.

The previous record was set at last year’s March tournament, when 957 banners marched around the ring.

This grand sumo tournament has 1,010 prize money banners, which makes it the fifth most rewarding tournament ever, according to JSA chairman Kitanoumi Tijicho.

“The rise in popularity (of sumo) is of course based on the performances of the two Yokozuna,” he said.

For Mongolian fans, concern grew several days before competition began, when yokozuna Asashoryu revealed he had a neck injury.

He said he injured his neck during an intense pre-basho training session on a visit to the Naruto stable, where he took a forearm to the chin from Wakanosato that knocked his head back suddenly.

Although Asashoryu blacked out for a second, he was able to stay on his feet and the injury was only discovered afterwards. He has competed at the tournament.

On March 4, five days before the tournament began, sekiwake Ama and Takamisakari visited Asashoryu’s stable for a training session with the champion, which was quite intense, Ama said.

“Just as I thought, the yokozuna is tough. He’s gotten even bigger. I realized that I have to use more power to try and move forward,” he said.

Following the training session, Asashoryu visited the Osaka Tenmangu Shrine in the North Ward of Osaka to perform a ceremonial ring entering ceremony.

About 1,000 fans gathered to watch the champion perform the ceremony.

Asashoryu previously visited the shrine three years ago to pay his respects to those enshrined, and then won the tournament.

“I won when I came here three years ago, so I’ll keep this in mind this year,” Ashashoryu said.

On March 5, Hakuho, the other Mongolian champion eagerly awaiting the Emperor’s Cup, visited the Dewanoumi stable for pre-basho intense training.

According to some Japanese media citing unnamed sources, the yokozuna fought 18 times winning 15 bouts against elite division wrestlers such as Futenoh and Kasugao.

Hakuho focused his sumo on getting his left arm on the inside and throwing with the right outer grip.

“The number of bouts means nothing. The content and flow are what’s important,” Hakuho said.

His mentor, Kumagatani, said he was happy with the Mongolian wrestler’s performance.

“He’s attacking moving forward and doing some good training. I think his sumo is good,” he said.

Asashoryu has changed the training methods he used before the New Year tournament, reducing his schedule from training every day to every two days.

One day before the tournament began, yokozuna Asashoryu used one of these non-training days to visit a respite center in Osaka, where he personally greeted around 200 patients.

Some of the elderly patients performed a dance and others sang for Asashoryu, which was very the wrestler said “raised my spirits”.

“I was so impressed by everyone’s performances. I will do my best at the Haru basho. I hope that you watch me and your spirits will be lifted too,” Asashoryu said.

On March 9, the sumo tournament began, with eight Mongolian wrestlers included in the elite division this time and many of them ranked in the upper half of the ranking list.

The first match of the March tournament began with a bout between two of the lower ranked elite division wrestlers, called ‘maegashira’. These wrestlers are then ranked against a comparable wrestlers and given an additional title of ‘east’ or ‘west’.

The first bout saw the Mongolian west maegashira #16, Ryuo, defeated by east maegashira #16, Otsukasa. This is a setback for Ryuo, who was only recently reinstated to the elite division after being demoted to a lower division.

West maegashira #4 Kyokutenho won against same ranked Wakanoho and began the tournament with hopes for promotion.

A while later two Mongolian wrestlers sekiwake Ama and maegashira #3 Tokitenku faced each other, with the bout ending a Tokitenku victory. Ama appeared disappointed with his performance in the ring.

Meanwhile ozeki Kotomitsuki was defeated against the lower ranked Mongolian wrestler Kakuryu ranked as top maegashira.  Kakuryu made short work of the ozeki in a matter of seconds using a frontal push technique.

Top maegashira Asasekiryu managed to win against the Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu who has been under steady criticism by the JSA.

The day’s main battle was certainly the rematch between yokozuna Asashoryu and komusubi Kisenosata. At the last basho, Kisenosata defeated the Mongolian wrestler on day two.

This time, however, Asa made no mistake sent the komusubi out of the ring without allowing any counter attack, which he said was his strategy.

“It was a good first day for me. My attack was swift. That was a good start,” he said.

The day’s final bout was yokozuna Hakuho against komusubi Takekaze. The Mongolian yokozuna was never in any real danger before getting in for a left-handed belt grip and slamming his opponent to the ground.

Hakuho said that he would not force any bout to move awkwardly, but rather use the natural forces to gain victory.

“That wasn’t where the flow of the bout was headed. I won’t force anything just to move forward, and I won’t force a throw when it’s not there.

I’ll charge when it’s time to charge. My timing was good today,” he said.

The first day left sumo fans expecting a basho similar to the New Years tournament where the winner of the tournament was unknown until the final day.

On the tournament’s second day Ryuo was the first Mongolian wrestler to make an appearance. But he suffered his second loss of the tournament against maegashira #15 Sakaizawa.

Kyokutenho also lost to the Georgian maegashira #5, Kokkai.

Right after this bout Ama appeared in the ring to wrestle against maegashira #3, Toyonoshima. Ama managed to secure his first win of the second day by using the frontal push-out technique.

Tokitenku was also victorious in his bout against sekiwake Kotoshogiku.

The last two matches were set between four Mongolian wrestlers. Hakuho celebrated his birthday with a victory against Asasekiryu, who was looking to regain his sekiwake title. The yokozuna tossed Asasekiryu to the side to gain his second win of the 15 day long tournament.

Meanwhile Asashoryu also crushed countryman Kakuryu to step closer to the Emperor’s Cup. Both yokozunas appeared to be determined to win the tournament.

Asashoryu commented after his bout against Kakuryu, “His face off was slow, so I wanted to be cautious. I had hoped to drive him straight back, but he got a hold of my belt.”

By defeating Kakuryu, it was Asashoryu’s first time that he is beat an opponent 27 times in a row.

At the conclusion of the day, Hakuho said he was disappointed with his sumo.

“My sumo is lacking a bit. You don’t want too much room to work with but then again you need some. It’s a difficult balance,” he said.

Sumo specialists are expecting a very interesting tournament, with no wrestler having emerged with a clear lead yet.

The UB Post

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