Tokyo – Japan has a new great Sumo champion, or Yokozuna, and the great news is that he is Japanese.
Onosato, the new great champion, weighs 191 kilograms (421 pounds) and is the first Japanese competitor to reach the first range since 2017. In comparison, the average weight of a NFL liner is approximately 140 kilos, or just over 300 pounds.
The sport has been recently dominated by Mongols and before Onosato, six of the seven previous Yokozunas have been from Mongolia.
“I will dedicate myself to training so as not to dishonor Yokozuna’s title,” Onosato said on Wednesday, dressed in a formal kimono and leaning while sitting on the floor. “I will try to become a unique yokozuna.”
Onosato, whose real name is Daiki Nakamura, is only 24 years old and was promoted on Wednesday to the best rank of Sumo for the Sumo Association of Japan. Onosato was promoted by winning the Grand Sumo summer tournament last week, which occurred after another prestigious tournament won in March.
Onosato is from the Prefecture of Ishikawa, which was beaten on January 1, 2024, by an devastating earthquake that killed some 600 people in the prefecture and caused generalized damage.
He said he hoped that his success would bring joy to people in the area who are still recovering.
“I determined that Yokozuna should be my goal once I entered the world of great,” he said. “It’s not easy to achieve and I’m really delighted.”
Sumo is considered Japan’s national sport, or most of the sacred sport, and many of the ritual elements are connected to ShintoismIndigenous religion of Japan.
The origins of Sumo date back to more than 1,000 years, and Japan is the only country where it is disputed at a professional level.
The sport is highly governed with many fighters living in community training facilities where food and clothing are controlled by old traditions.
Onosate promotion will establish an instant rivalry with Hoshoryu, born in Mongolia, who is the other fighter in Japan to have the Yokozuna title.
The Japanese news agency Kyodo said that the two Sumo stars will meet in a tournament in July in the central city of Nagoya.
___
AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports
