[sumo] Japan Times article Chirac's Sumo Cup Now In Doubt

[Barbara Ann]

>From the Japan Times a couple of days ago:

Chirac's Sumo Cup Now In Doubt

Sumo may lose its French connection and one of its most prestigious prizes
with the departure of President Jacques Chirac, a long standing aficionado
of the centuries-old sport.

The future of the Cup of the President of the French Republic, known as the
Jacques Chirac Cup and awarded to the winners  of the six big professional
sumo tournaments, is in doubt.

In contrast to his predecessor's love of the sport, President-elect Nicolas
Sarkozy is remembered in Japan for his 2004 remark deriding sumo.

The cup will not be presented at the upcoming 15-day tournament, which ends
May 27, "because Jacques Chirac will not be president any more", a spokesman
said Tuesday.

"Afterward, we will discuss the matter with the Japan Sumo Association to
see what we can do," he added without excluding the possibility that France
would continue to award a trophy in the country's name.

Yuiicha Iida, a spokesman for the association, said: "We have not yet
received any notice from the French Embassy about the cup. It is up to the
French to decide."

The award, a ceramic pot that comes with a certificate, was created in 2000
by Chirac, who reportedly named his pet dog Sumo.

In 2004, the outspoken Sarkozy, long known for his presidential ambitions,
mocked the sport in a political jab to differentiate himself from Chirac.

"How can anyone be fascinated by these battles between fat with slicked-sown
ponytails? Sumo wrestling is really not a sport for intellectuals," Sarkozy
reportedly said at a dinner in Hong Kong.

The French award is one of the most prestigious among some 20 given to the
best wrestlers.

The Emperor's Cup tops the list. Others include honors from the Czech
Republic, Mongolia, Mexico, China, Hungary and the United Arab Emirates.

As for the Japanese sumo world, there is hope the 52-year-old Sarkozy, who
takes office May 18, will come around in time.

"We hear that he (Sarkozy) dislikes sumo. But we believe there will be a
chance for us to make him understand sumo from scratch, " Isenoumi
Yukishige, director of planning at the sumo association, told the Sports
Hochi newspaper.
APP-Jiji

Regards,

Sumobaba

See my blog at http://sumobaba.vox.com



  <http://xpostmail.com/ff5ecb4efaead1a2435d46c1019d6e20worker.jpg>