[sumo] SUMO SCRIBBLINGS

[Patrick Bal]

The king is all but dead — long live sumo!


By MARK BUCKTON

Special to The Japan Times Online

Following his flight home, the Mongolian police and military were deployed
to prevent Japanese media access to "their" man, Asashoryu, and not since
the time Konishiki was looking at promotion to yokozuna has the line
separating Japanese and non-Japanese suitability to hold the rank been drawn
so prominently in the sand.

 
Any sumo/art fans reading this should keep an eye on the early NHK-BS
coverage on Day 8. Sources indicate young up-and-coming sumo artist Hiroko
Komatsu, from Tokyo's Adachi Ward, will have her works take center stage — a
position she will one day become accustomed to.  
 
 
 

Had the sport's 68th yokozuna apologized for his actions in the days
immediately following his now famous misdemeanor, he wouldn't be the target
of so much media and public derision now. Regardless of whether he feels he
was behaving badly, the simple fact is, this is Japan, where apologies are
expected, and sincerity should be apparent. Tears always help, as do long
bows before phalanx of photographers.

To date he hasn't apologized and seems unwilling to do so. As a result,
Asashoryu Akinori, the one-time king of modern sumo, is finished. His
reputation is in tatters and will remain so regardless of possible future
successes and record-breaking achievements.

Sadly, the first Mongolian yokozuna has not only embarrassed himself in
recent weeks but leaves in his wake a degree of "guilt by association" that
will forever blight non-Japanese close to yokozuna promotion. Future foreign
rikishi will again put up the numbers necessary to be called a yokozuna, but
the doubt hovering over their ability to behave as is expected in the 24/7
post will be ever present. 

Fortunately, for now, the world of sumo can move on and with the Sept. 9 —
23rd Autumn tournament just around the corner that is exactly what the
majority are doing.

The 50+ stables are all now training hard for the last Tokyo tournament of
2007 and none more so than Sadogatake Beya in Chiba Prefecture. 

Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu and newly promoted ozeki Kotomitsuki are both
Sadogatake men, and it will be to this pair many will look to give the basho
some added spice. 

Kotooshu has never won a makunouchi division title, while Kotomitsuki's lone
success came back in September 2001, when the world's attention was focused
on New York, Washington D.C. and Somerset County, Penn.; a time most of the
sanyaku men present failed to complete the basho or performed well below
par. 

If either man wins the upcoming tournament it would no doubt do wonders for
their self-confidence and have their recently deceased mentor, former
yokozuna Kotozakura and Sadogatake oyakata, smiling down from above.

Kotomitsuki will be without the support of his home (Nagoya) crowd this time
out so he'll have to reach a little deeper to approach the final weekend in
double figures. He will not have to face fellow ozeki Kotooshu or former
sekiwake (current maegashira 3) stablemate Kotoshogiku* and, given the
absence of a certain yokozuna against whom he has a dismal win/loss ratio,
it could be argued he is on easy street. 

Kotooshu's own worst enemy is himself. While he is capable of some
outstanding throws and has an impressive arsenal of techniques that will
come together to win him a yusho in the not-too-distant future, he too often
displays watered-down schoolyard sumo. A sense of lethargy and boredom seem
to be lurking just below the surface, and any decent doctor would likely
recommend a dose of "up and at 'em" (as opposed to soccer on the steppe.)

As is, just one man stands in the way of the two "Kotos" his basho: Hakuho
Sho, the 69th man in history to hold sumo's top rank.

Hakuho is still finding his feet with all the additional duties and
expectations required of him as a yokozuna but he is head and shoulders
above his peers in terms of raw ability and talent. He is still in the
refinement process and his defensive technique needs work but today he
stands alone as sumo's top dog, a title he secured in more ways than one the
minute Asashoryu's flight to Mongolia left the tarmac at Narita.

Will he win the basho at a canter? I for one don't think he will as he still
has his flaws, not least an over-reliance on his left hand getting hold of
an opponent's mawashi to secure a win. Although I do believe he will
eventually walk away with the yusho, he may this time be pushed all the way
by the ozeki duo from Sadogatake.

Other rikishi in with a shot at lifting the Emperor's Cup could, and should,
include komusubi Kisenosato, perhaps maegashira 1, Tokitenku as the
proverbial dark horse, and even former sekiwake Kyokutenho battling down at
maegashira 12 where he will stay off the championship radar screens until
the very end — if he's still in it. 

Whatever happens, it really is all out there to play for. Asashoryu's
suspension now means we have an exciting basho on the horizon. One (missing)
rikishi does not a basho make or break. Forget Asashoryu for the next few
weeks and enjoy the action.

*Rikishi from the same stable do not compete against each other unless as
part of an end of tournament play-off. 
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