Latest news with #Kisenosato
Kyodo News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Onosato aims to buck trend, win Nagoya meet in yokozuna debut
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 13:53 | Sports, All Newly promoted Onosato said Monday he aims to win the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament as a yokozuna debutant and add his name to the small group of wrestlers to achieve the feat. The 25-year-old star will compete for the first time as a grand champion at the 15-day tournament opening July 13 at the new IG Arena. Of the 30 previous wrestlers promoted to yokozuna, just six won their first grand tournament at the sport's highest rank. "It's not something that everyone does," said Onosato, speaking at a press conference at his Nishonoseki stable's base near Nagoya. The Ishikawa Prefecture native will also be under the spotlight as the first new Japanese-born yokozuna since his stablemaster, the former Kisenosato, debuted at the top rank in March 2017. Onosato went 9-6 as a sekiwake last July in his only previous Nagoya meet as a member of the elite makuuchi division. "I don't have good memories of the Nagoya tournaments over the past two years," he said. "If I can achieve good results here, I think I'll be able to feel that I've become stronger." While his stellar performance in the ring, culminating in his yokozuna promotion, has made him the talk of the sumo world, Onosato says he has not been affected by the attention. "Nothing has changed, including my life away from sumo," he said. "I want to stay the same person I've always been." He continues to cherish his connection with Ishikawa, especially his hometown of Tsubata, which was hit hard by the Jan. 1, 2024, Noto Peninsula earthquake. The town held a parade on Sunday to celebrate his yokozuna promotion. "I got a lot of energy from it," he said. "I hope it's reflected by my performance in Nagoya. I want to energize Ishikawa Prefecture by continuing to succeed."
The Mainichi
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Sumo: Onosato aims to buck trend, win Nagoya meet in yokozuna debut
ANJO, Japan (Kyodo) -- Newly promoted Onosato said Monday he aims to win the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament as a yokozuna debutant and add his name to the small group of wrestlers to achieve the feat. The 25-year-old star will compete for the first time as a grand champion at the 15-day tournament opening July 13 at the new IG Arena. Of the 30 previous wrestlers promoted to yokozuna, just six won their first grand tournament at the sport's highest rank. "It's not something that everyone does," said Onosato, speaking at a press conference at his Nishonoseki stable's base near Nagoya. The Ishikawa Prefecture native will also be under the spotlight as the first new Japanese-born yokozuna since his stablemaster, the former Kisenosato, debuted at the top rank in March 2017. Onosato went 9-6 as a sekiwake last July in his only previous Nagoya meet as a member of the elite makuuchi division. "I don't have good memories of the Nagoya tournaments over the past two years," he said. "If I can achieve good results here, I think I'll be able to feel that I've become stronger." While his stellar performance in the ring, culminating in his yokozuna promotion, has made him the talk of the sumo world, Onosato says he has not been affected by the attention. "Nothing has changed, including my life away from sumo," he said. "I want to stay the same person I've always been." He continues to cherish his connection with Ishikawa, especially his hometown of Tsubata, which was hit hard by the Jan. 1, 2024, Noto Peninsula earthquake. The town held a parade on Sunday to celebrate his yokozuna promotion. "I got a lot of energy from it," he said. "I hope it's reflected by my performance in Nagoya. I want to energize Ishikawa Prefecture by continuing to succeed."
Kyodo News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Onosato aims to buck trend, win Nagoya meet in yokozuna debut
KYODO NEWS - 20 minutes ago - 13:53 | Sports, All Newly promoted Onosato said Monday he aims to win the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament as a yokozuna debutant and add his name to the small group of wrestlers to achieve the feat. The 25-year-old star will compete for the first time as a grand champion at the 15-day tournament opening July 13 at the new IG Arena. Of the 30 previous wrestlers promoted to yokozuna, just six won their first grand tournament at the sport's highest rank. "It's not something that everyone does," said Onosato, speaking at a press conference at his Nishonoseki stable's base near Nagoya. The Ishikawa Prefecture native will also be under the spotlight as the first new Japanese-born yokozuna since his stablemaster, the former Kisenosato, debuted at the top rank in March 2017. Onosato went 9-6 as a sekiwake last July in his only previous Nagoya meet as a member of the elite makuuchi division. "I don't have good memories of the Nagoya tournaments over the past two years," he said. "If I can achieve good results here, I think I'll be able to feel that I've become stronger." While his stellar performance in the ring, culminating in his yokozuna promotion, has made him the talk of the sumo world, Onosato says he has not been affected by the attention. "Nothing has changed, including my life away from sumo," he said. "I want to stay the same person I've always been." He continues to cherish his connection with Ishikawa, especially his hometown of Tsubata, which was hit hard by the Jan. 1, 2024, Noto Peninsula earthquake. The town held a parade on Sunday to celebrate his yokozuna promotion. "I got a lot of energy from it," he said. "I hope it's reflected by my performance in Nagoya. I want to energize Ishikawa Prefecture by continuing to succeed."
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Onosato promoted to yokozuna after record-setting ascent in sumo
Onosato has been promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, the Japan Sumo Association announced on Wednesday, completing a meteoric rise to the summit of Japan's national sport in the record span of 13 tournaments. The 24-year-old, who weighs 421lb (191kg) and stands 6ft 4in (1.92m) tall, becomes the 75th yokozuna in sumo's centuries-spanning history and the first Japan-born wrestler to hold the title since Kisenosato in 2017. His promotion comes just days after clinching the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryōgoku Sumo Hall with a 14-1 record, clinching his second straight championship and fourth overall. Onosato's promotion was made official after a unanimous recommendation from the JSA's advisory council on Monday and approved by the board of trustees at a special meeting on Wednesday. He is now the fastest wrestler to reach yokozuna in the modern six-tournament calendar era, which dates to 1958. The record ascent eclipses the previous mark of 21 basho set by Wajima, another Ishikawa native, in 1973. 'I am truly happy,' Onosato told reporters on Wednesday after receiving the decision from JSA envoys at his Nishonoseki stable in Ibaraki Prefecture. 'Now, things will become more important than ever. I want to stay focused and continue to work hard.' He added: 'I will devote myself to training so as not to disgrace the rank of yokozuna. I want to be the one and only grand champion.' The phrase 'one and only' echoed his remarks last September when he was promoted to ōzeki, sumo's second-highest rank. 'I didn't originally plan to say it again, but it just felt right,' he said. 'It was the only thing that came to mind.' Onosato, whose birth name is Daiki Nakamura, entered the professional ranks in May 2023 after a decorated amateur career at Toyo University. He began in the third-tier makushita division and quickly scaled the ranks without a single losing record, reaching ōzeki in his ninth tournament and before reaching the top in his 13th. He secured his latest title on day 13 of the Summer tournament – where competitors wrestle once daily and the best record after 15 days wins – by defeating fellow ōzeki Kotozakura to improve to 13-0. His only loss came on the final day to Hoshoryu, the Mongolian-born yokozuna who was promoted in January. Hoshoryu finished 12-3 and the result has only heightened anticipation for a nascent rivalry between the two. They are set to face off as yokozuna for the first time at the Nagoya tournament in July – sumo's grand tournaments are held every two months throughout the year in the odd-numbered months – the first time two grand champions will top the banzuke ranking list since 2021. It makes the first time that two rikishi have earned promotion to yokozuna in the same calendar year since 1987, when Hokutoumi and Onokuni both reached the top. 'Winning two straight tournaments as an ōzeki is an impressive feat,' said Tadamori Oshima, chairman of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, said on Sunday. 'Above all, he remained composed and consistent under pressure.' The promotion ends a period of scarcity for Japanese-born yokozuna. Before Kisenosato in 2017, Japan had gone nearly two decades without a native wrestler at the top rank, as Mongolian wrestlers dominated the sport. Six of the last seven yokozuna before Onosato were born in Mongolia, including the record-shattering Hakuho, Harumafuji and Asashoryu. 'I hope he leads by example and lifts the entire world of sumo,' said Nishonoseki, Onosato's stablemaster, who competed as Kisenosato. 'He's still developing. He's been building his body properly since entering the stable, making steady efforts. Training does not lie.' Onosato's rise has been widely hailed both for its symbolic significance and his calm, composed style. A technical and balanced wrestler, he has been praised for his maturity in the ring and his steady temperament off it. His promotion has also been a source of pride in his home prefecture of Ishikawa, which was devastated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake on New Year's Day in 2025. More than 600 people died in a disaster that displaced thousands and the Noto Peninsula region continues to rebuild. 'I will work hard as a yokozuna to encourage and cheer up the Ishikawa prefecture and the Noto region,' he said. He is now the third yokozuna from Ishikawa, following Wajima and Haguroyama. With the sport preparing for an international exhibition at London's Royal Albert Hall in October, his promotion comes at a time when JSA is seeking to broaden its global profile while reconnecting with fans at home. At 24, Onosato is the youngest yokozuna since Takanohana's promotion in 1994 and thought to be the first to reach the rank without a single losing record in the top division. What comes next is not only the pressure of defending the rank, but the responsibility that accompanies it both inside and outside the dohyo. 'This is unknown territory for me,' Onosato said. 'But I want to continue being myself: to wrestle my way, stay focused, and become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna.'
Reuters
28-05-2025
- General
- Reuters
Onosato attains yokozuna rank in record time
May 28 (Reuters) - Onosato has been promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, the Japan Sumo Association said on Wednesday, attaining the honour in a record 13 professional tournaments. The 24-year-old wrestler, who weighs 191 kilograms and is 1.92 metres tall, has become the 75th yokozuna in eight fewer appearances than the previous record held by the late Wajima. Onosato is also the first Japan-born wrestler to reach the rnk since Kisenosato in 2017. He retired in January 2019. "I am truly happy. Now, things will become more important than ever. I want to stay focused and continue to work hard," Onosato told reporters. "This is a very much unknown territory for me. I want to maintain my style, be Onosato, and I will work hard to become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna." Onosato is the second wrestler to reach the top rank within four months following Hoshoryu's promotion in January. Onosato and Hoshoryu will face each other for the first time as yokozuna in July in Nagoya.
