Tokyo 2020
13-10-2017
Sumo pulls out all the
stops at promotional event
Rikishi in Japan are coming
up big — literally and figuratively — doing little things to promote the 2020
Tokyo Olympic Games and, though not part of the Olympic program, the ancient
national sport of sumo.
On Wednesday, 70 wrestlers
of sumo’s top two divisions, including all four yokozuna, took part in the
Ozumo Beyond 2020 Basho, a government-funded project aimed at both first-time
spectators and hardcore fans. It was the second straight year for the event at
Ryogoku Kokugikan
Wrestlers clad in colorful
kimono stood outside the Tokyo venue and delighted the 4,000 fans by greeting
them with handshakes, hugs, autograph signings and selfies.
The invitation-only event
featured various services such as English public address announcements and
subtitled live video streaming as well as wheelchair and guide dog
accessibility. The unique experience took guests away from the present moment,
allowing them to temporarily forget the injury concerns surrounding sumo’s top
makuuchi division that have been giving the Japan Sumo Association a headache.
The dohyo ring was a stage
where children in mawashi belts tackled wrestlers and lower-ranked wrestlers
took turns singing lively sumo songs.
Last year,
when the JSA organized the event for the first time, the sandan-gamae ceremony
was performed by two yokozuna for the first time in 21 years. This year, Hakuho
and Kisenosato were given the rare privilege of demonstrating the three-posture
ritual.
After taking part in his
first sandan-gamae, held only on special occasions, Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho
said he enjoyed the kind of adrenaline rush he had never felt before.
“It was my first time (to
perform the sandan-gamae) and I was nervous but it was a good experience,” said
Hakuho, who was a last-minute entry. “The Olympics coming to Tokyo again is
already a big deal, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. I’m glad I
was born the year I was. I hope to remain active until 2020,” said Hakuho,
whose father won Mongolia’s first-ever Olympic medal as a freestyle wrestler in
1968 and also competed in the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Meanwhile, his counterpart
Kisenosato said he remembers seeing the ritual in photographs years ago and was
happy to officially become a part of that tradition.
“What an honor,” said
Kisenosato.
“There were fans from all
generations and it’s nice to share sumo tradition with them. Of course there’s
the basho, but getting a chance to watch things like the sandan-gamae is
different. I hope this gets more people interested in sumo.”
The one-day event was being
held as a trial project by the government as the country makes every effort to
attract more foreign visitors and make an economic success of the 2020 Games.
In addition to ringside
seating for wheelchair users, live English play-by-play commentary and sign
language interpretation were available to demonstrate how sports can break down
barriers.
JSA public relations chief
Kiyotaka Kasugano, who spoke on the raised ring before the national anthem was
performed by a singer with autism, expressed his joy at seeing so many local
foreign residents unite through sumo, and for the opportunity to share Japan’s culture
and traditions with the world.
“Through sumo we believe we
can promote this country’s other fine cultures and continue that trend onto the
2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics,” he said.
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