Sumo Scene / Rising Ukrainian Wrestler Aonishiki Looks to Make Waves in Summer Tourney
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Aonishiki, right, launches an attack against Meisei on March 20 during one of his 11 wins in his makuuchi division debut at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka.
The Summer Grand Sumo Tournament is fast approaching. If ozeki Onosato, fresh off winning a third career title in the Spring tourney, can achieve a similar result, it will heat up talk of his promotion to yokozuna.
There is no dearth of topics for discussion regarding the tournament starting on May 11, but personally, I am most intrigued to see how Ukrainian wrestler Aonishiki fares in just his second tourney in the uppermost makuuchi division.
Back in Ukraine, which has a rich history in combat sports, Aonishiki participated in amateur sumo and wrestling, and even competed internationally. However, following the Russian invasion into his homeland, he left his country in 2022 in search of a stable environment to continue practicing sumo.
He made his way to Japan and joined the sumo club at Kansai University, where he immersed himself in his training.
Through an introduction to stablemaster Ajigawa (former sekiwake Aminishiki) through a university connection, he turned pro and made his debut at the 2023 Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament. From there, he rapidly shot up the rankings, remarkably reaching the makuuchi division in just nine tournaments.
Having just turned 21 in March, he has lofty ambitions. 'My goal is even higher,' he declared upon his promotion to the top tier.
At the Spring tournament, early jitters led to a slow start. But as the competition progressed, he found his footing against the top competition. His style is particularly striking — despite standing a robust 1.82 meters, he consistently lowers his stance, rounds his back and drives forward relentlessly.
His makuuchi debut notwithstanding, he found himself in contention for the championship until the closing days. On the final day, he defeated sekiwake Oho with a tenacious and well-executed attack to finish with an impressive 11-4 record that earned him the Fighting Spirit Prize.
That drew high praise from Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku (former yokozuna Hokutoumi), who said: 'His core appears exceptionally strong. I look forward to seeing how he does in the future.
'Most importantly, his earnest commitment to sumo is noteworthy,' he added, a nod to the hardships Aonishiki has overcome.
With a higher ranking — he is now a No. 9 maegashira — there is no doubt that the other wrestlers will be studying him, aiming to exploit any weaknesses. I am eager to see if he can create a Ukrainian sensation in the early summer ring, where his true potential will be tested.
— Kamimura is a sumo expert.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Belarus Qualifying for European Soccer Event Forces UEFA to Find Third Co-Host Nation
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA changed the hosting plan for its 2026 European Championship for indoor soccer on Friday because Russia's military ally Belarus has qualified for the finals tournament. Co-hosts Latvia and Lithuania 'prohibit the organization of matches involving Belarusian teams on their domestic territories,' said UEFA, which added Slovenia as a third host for the 16-team futsal event. Slovenia, the home nation of UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, will now organize more than half of the four-yearly tournament that opens on Jan. 20 and includes Ukraine. UEFA said Belarus will be drawn to play in one of the two groups moved to Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, which also will stage two quarterfinals, both semifinals and the final. One group will be played in each of Riga, Latvia's capital, and Kaunas in Lithuania. 'Each city will also host one quarterfinal, reaffirming their central roles in the tournament,' UEFA said, giving no details of how Ukraine will be separated from Belarus in the draw. Russian teams have been banned from international competitions by UEFA and FIFA since the full military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. UEFA's move in 2023 to reintegrate Russian under-17s teams was stopped by a backlash from Ukraine and other member federations. National and club teams from Belarus have continued to play, though must host 'home' games in neutral countries with no fans in the stadium. Belarus will start qualifying for the men's 2026 World Cup in September in a group with Denmark, Scotland and Greece. Belarus is playing home games in Hungary. The previous futsal Euros played in the Netherlands saw one of the last soccer matches between teams from Russia and Ukraine, in the quarterfinals on Feb. 4, 2022. Russia won 3-2.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Sumo Scene / Ex-Yokozuna Hakuho Retires from Japan Sumo Association; Aims to Spread Sumo Throughout the World
Former yokozuna Hakuho, who took a hammer to the record book during a career that included an unprecedented 45 makuuchi-division championships, has made a total break from the Japan Sumo Association. The ex-Miyagino stablemaster announced his resignation on June 9, declaring that he would now dedicate himself to promoting the sport outside the association as 'Hakuho Sho,' his adopted name since acquiring Japanese citizenship. I have been covering Hakuho from the time he joined the Miyagino stable after coming to Japan from Mongolia, to his professional debut in 2001, and through to the present day. I have seen my share of others who reached the rank of yokozuna, but none in my memory ever underwent such intense fluctuations in his career as Hakuho. From the very start he quickly rose up the ranks, eventually pulling equal to predecessor and fellow Mongolian Asashoryu. In stark contrast to Asashoryu's 'bad boy' reputation, Hakuho established a strong image as a straight-laced model student. However, this aspect of Hakuho gradually changed after Asashoryu retired in 2010 to take responsibility for a scandal. Around that time, Hakuho began to dominate the other wrestlers as the lone yokozuna, at one point putting together a 63-match winning streak. At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Hakuho took a leading role in reconstruction activities as a representative of the sumo world. He also actively worked to regain the trust of fans after the sport suffered a decline in popularity due to a series of scandals that included match-rigging. However, Hakuho also came under increasing criticism for his heavy-handed techniques during bouts, such as harshly striking opponents or battering them with a forearm to the chest. This win-at-all-costs approach by a yokozuna was condemned as 'lacking the dignity' of the rank. When it came to sumo, there was no doubt Hakuho was peerless in terms of his passion for constantly trying to better himself. He trained diligently, and always made time to study the techniques and tactics of past greats by watching videos of their bouts over and over again. Yet he also showed many aspects of a negative side that affected his popularity, which made him one of those rare wrestlers who divided sumo fans and was either loved or hated. At a press conference following his retirement from the association, Hakuho said, 'I want to move forward in pursuit of a new dream. I want to work to spread sumo throughout the world.' Many eyes will be on his future activities. — Kamimura is a sumo expert.
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- The Mainichi
Olympics: Coventry begins term as IOC president
Lausanne, Switzerland (Kyodo) -- Kirsty Coventry was officially sworn in Tuesday as president of the International Olympic Committee, becoming the first woman and the first person from Africa to take the post in its more than 130-year history. The 41-year-old former swimmer from Zimbabwe, who won 200-meter backstroke gold at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, succeeds Thomas Bach and begins her eight-year term amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in the Middle East. The IOC is also tackling the issue of Russian athletes' participation in the Olympics. In March, she was elected as the 10th president of the IOC, winning 49 of the 97 votes during the first round of the secret ballot at the 144th IOC Session in Greece. Coventry won seven medals in total from five Olympic appearances before becoming an IOC member in 2013.
