Latest news with #HakuhoCup
Kyodo News
14-06-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Hakuho reveals company, Toyota chairman heads amateurs' body
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 22:35 | Sports, All, Japan Former grand champion Hakuho announced the name of his new company on Saturday as he looks to promote the sport through the concept of a "world sumo grand slam" after leaving the Japan Sumo Association. Earlier in the day, the Japan Sumo Federation, which oversees the amateur side of the sport, unanimously elected the chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. and long-term Hakuho supporter Akio Toyoda as its new head. Hakuho's new company, Hakuho Dayan Sumo & Sports Inc. named after a Mongolian emperor, was unveiled at a party with some 200 of his supporters in Tokyo, including former Japan football star Keisuke Honda and former Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto. "I'm grateful," Hakuho said during the party after hearing of Toyoda's appointment. The Mongolian-born former yokozuna, who hopes sumo will one day become an Olympic sport, also indicated his intention of attending the sumo world championships in Bangkok in September. Toyoda, a supporter of the former grand champion since his wrestling days, was appointed for a two-year term at the federation after the 69-year-old expressed his interest in taking up the role this spring. The move follows Hakuho's decision to leave the JSA on Monday and promote the sport from outside the ruling body. Hakuho, who won a record 45 Emperor's Cups, left little more than a year after the indefinite closure of the Miyagino stable he had overseen as stablemaster, following revelations that one of his proteges had physically abused younger wrestlers. The 40-year-old has organized the Hakuho Cup, an international youth sumo tournament, since 2010 and his future interaction with the Toyoda-led federation could provide a new opportunity for the sport. Toyota Motor has an amateur sumo team and sponsors a national tournament. "It feels we've welcomed a strong leader," the federation's vice chairman Kozo Katsuda said. "We'll look into the idea (of collaborating with Hakuho) if there is such talk." Related coverage: Sumo: Kotozakura bids to get back on track by focusing on basics Sumo great Hakuho plans to promote sport from outside ruling body Sumo: Newly built IG Arena readying for big opening with Nagoya meet
Japan Today
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Today
Hakuho reveals company; Toyota chairman heads amateurs' body
sumo Former grand champion Hakuho announced the name of his new company on Saturday as he looks to promote the sport through the concept of a "world sumo grand slam" after leaving the Japan Sumo Association. Earlier in the day, the Japan Sumo Federation, which oversees the amateur side of the sport, unanimously elected the chairman of Toyota Motor Corp and long-term Hakuho supporter Akio Toyoda as its new head. Hakuho's new company, Hakuho Dayan Sumo & Sports Inc named after a Mongolian emperor, was unveiled at a party with some 200 of his supporters in Tokyo, including former Japan football star Keisuke Honda and former Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto. "I'm grateful," Hakuho said during the party after hearing of Toyoda's appointment. The Mongolian-born former yokozuna, who hopes sumo will one day become an Olympic sport, also indicated his intention of attending the sumo world championships in Bangkok in September. Toyoda, a supporter of the former grand champion since his wrestling days, was appointed for a two-year term at the federation after the 69-year-old expressed his interest in taking up the role this spring. The move follows Hakuho's decision to leave the JSA on Monday and promote the sport from outside the ruling body. Hakuho, who won a record 45 Emperor's Cups, left little more than a year after the indefinite closure of the Miyagino stable he had overseen as stablemaster, following revelations that one of his proteges had physically abused younger wrestlers. The 40-year-old has organized the Hakuho Cup, an international youth sumo tournament, since 2010 and his future interaction with the Toyoda-led federation could provide a new opportunity for the sport. Toyota Motor has an amateur sumo team and sponsors a national tournament. "It feels we've welcomed a strong leader," the federation's vice chairman Kozo Katsuda said. "We'll look into the idea (of collaborating with Hakuho) if there is such talk." © KYODO
Kyodo News
14-06-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Hakuho reveals company, Toyota chairman heads amateurs' body
KYODO NEWS - 8 minutes ago - 22:35 | Sports, All, Japan Former grand champion Hakuho announced the name of his new company on Saturday as he looks to promote the sport through the concept of a "world sumo grand slam" after leaving the Japan Sumo Association. Earlier in the day, the Japan Sumo Federation, which oversees the amateur side of the sport, unanimously elected the chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. and long-term Hakuho supporter Akio Toyoda as its new head. Hakuho's new company, Hakuho Dayan Sumo & Sports Inc. named after a Mongolian emperor, was unveiled at a party with some 200 of his supporters in Tokyo, including former Japan football star Keisuke Honda and former Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto. "I'm grateful," Hakuho said during the party after hearing of Toyoda's appointment. The Mongolian-born former yokozuna, who hopes sumo will one day become an Olympic sport, also indicated his intention of attending the sumo world championships in Bangkok in September. Toyoda, a supporter of the former grand champion since his wrestling days, was appointed for a two-year term at the federation after the 69-year-old expressed his interest in taking up the role this spring. The move follows Hakuho's decision to leave the JSA on Monday and promote the sport from outside the ruling body. Hakuho, who won a record 45 Emperor's Cups, left little more than a year after the indefinite closure of the Miyagino stable he had overseen as stablemaster, following revelations that one of his proteges had physically abused younger wrestlers. The 40-year-old has organized the Hakuho Cup, an international youth sumo tournament, since 2010 and his future interaction with the Toyoda-led federation could provide a new opportunity for the sport. Toyota Motor has an amateur sumo team and sponsors a national tournament. "It feels we've welcomed a strong leader," the federation's vice chairman Kozo Katsuda said. "We'll look into the idea (of collaborating with Hakuho) if there is such talk." Related coverage: Sumo: Kotozakura bids to get back on track by focusing on basics Sumo great Hakuho plans to promote sport from outside ruling body Sumo: Newly built IG Arena readying for big opening with Nagoya meet
The Mainichi
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Mainichi
Sumo: Toyota chairman elected head of amateurs' governing body
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japan Sumo Federation, which oversees amateur sumo, unanimously elected the chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. as its new head on Saturday. Akio Toyoda, 69, who has been a long-term supporter of former Mongolian-born grand champion Hakuho, will serve a two-year team. The move follows Hakuho's decision to leave the Japan Sumo Association on Monday and promote the sport from outside the ruling body. The former yokozuna, who won a record 45 Emperor's Cups, left little more than a year after the indefinite closure of the Miyagino stable he had overseen as stablemaster, following revelations that one of his proteges had physically abused younger wrestlers. The 40-year-old has organized the Hakuho Cup, an international youth sumo tournament, since 2010 and his future interaction with the Toyoda-led federation could provide a new opportunity for the sport.
Japan Today
11-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Hakuho's lofty 'global sumo' ambitions bolstered by generous backers with deep pockets
In a June 9 press conference, former sumo stablemaster Miyagino, a retired yokozuna (grand champion) who formerly competed under the name Hakuho, announced his resignation from the Japan Sumo Association. The Mongolian-born Hakuho, now age 40, holds sumo's all-time record of 45 tournament victories, but was nudged out of sumo when the stable he managed, Miyagino, was disbanded over his failure to discipline Mongolia-born Hokuseiho, a senior wrestler who had allegedly physically abused junior grapplers. But as Shukan Post (June 20) reports, Hakuho's seemingly ignominious departure from sumo may have a silver lining, as he informed the media that he still hopes "to share sumo's appeal with many people around the world, not just in Japan." An unnamed stablemaster remarked that Hakuho no doubt expects to continue organizing the annual "Hakuho Cup," a junior sumo tournament held every February at the Kokugikan sumo arena in Ryogoku since 2010. And thanks to cash contributions from wealthy supporters, Hakuho is said to be in good shape financially. "His retirement ceremony in January 2023 made news because of the extremely high ticket price of 5 million yen," confided a supporter, who noted that several major corporations such as Otsuka Pharmaceutical and Tokyo-based amusement machine giant Sankyo Co Ltd were among the sponsors. "He's also known to have a close relationship with Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda," the stablemaster noted. Nagoya hosts a grand sumo tournament each July. As opposed to traditionally spartan lodgings for wrestlers at Buddhist temples, since 2019, the grapplers of Hakuho's stable had been cozily accommodated at the Toyota Sports Center in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, an air-conditioned sports facility that also houses an athletics track, gymnasium and swimming pool. Toyota also sponsored Hakuho's dampatsushiki (hair-cutting retirement ceremony), where Chairman Toyoda was accorded the honor of being the penultimate person to snip off Hakuho's topknot, just before his stablemaster. "Toyoda's substantial gift of 5 million yen set tongues wagging," a Hakuho supporter was quoted as saying. Rather than sponsorship via the Sumo Association, Toyota appears to be backing Hakuho on a personal basis. "Hakuho is also involved with the Sports Academy, an industry-government-academia collaboration project established by Toyota, Chukyo University and Toyota City," the supporter noted. Asked if he would continue to support Hakuho, Toyoda was quoted as saying, "I have a good relationship with him as a friend. When we met from time to time, our conversation was always about the development of Japanese sumo, connecting the world through sumo, and what we can do for the next generation. "Hakuho's love of sumo and his sincere dedication to the development and passing on of sumo culture has resonated with many people, leading to the founding of the Tokai Miyagino Stable Supporters Association two years ago," Toyoda continued. "I am also a friend and serve as honorary chairman of the supporters' association. I'd like to consult with him about any assistance I can provide for his future activities." By harnessing his relationships with global companies, Hakuho aims to "expand sumo globally," Toyoda added. "Hakuho says he plans to create a new organization and first get involved in sumo events, and then set up a global organization for amateur sumo," an unnamed sumo journalist tells Shukan Post. "Just as judo was internationalized in the past, he wants to develop sumo into a global sport, creating a 'Second Sumo Association,' with himself as its head, that would organize a Sumo World Cup." The groundwork for that is already in place in the form of the aforementioned "Hakuho Cup," which this year marked its 15th anniversary. "The Japan Sumo Association did not participate in the sponsorship, but Hakuho himself solicited sponsors, and was supported by special sponsors including Sankyo and Toyota," the journalist explained. "Despite Hakuho's stable having been shuttered last year, entrants into this year's Hakuho Cup attracted an impressive 203 organizations and 1,144 wrestlers from 15 countries and regions, including amateurs from 40 of Japan's 47 prefectures, as well as from Mongolia, Hawaii, South Korea, Brazil, Poland and Ukraine." The sumo journalist remarked that Hakuho possesses exceptional skills at recruiting sponsors and organizing events. It's entirely possible that a fight for the international sumo market will unfold in the future, but from Hakuho's perspective, such a fight would further expose the "closed nature" of the association that forced him out. "Some members of the association look down on the former yokozuna, saying, 'Once he's gone, without the association's affiliation, he's a nobody.' But is it really going to be that simple?" the journalist asked. "Hakuho is trying to use his situation to his advantage, to recruit and develop talented foreign wrestlers and internationalize sumo," he added, predicting "The day may come in the future when a Japanese team is defeated by Mongolia, led by Hakuho, in a Sumo World Cup." © Japan Today
