[sumo] [Spoiler] Rikishi Talk Senshuraku Aki Basho 2007
Joe Kuroda
joe_kuroda at yahoo.com
Sun Sep 23 16:51:38 EDT 2007
Goeido (11-4) over Yoshikaze by oshidashi, 2.3 seconds
------------------------------------------------------------------
(Getting his 11th win with a quick powerful jump out
of tachiai and overwhelming Yoshikaze)
"I am especially happy that I was able to finish with
a good sumo at the end. "
(Hearing he was a candidate for Gino-sho as well)
"I never expected to receive a Sansho award so if I
could have, I'd love to get as many as I could. This
will help me gain more self-confidence for sure."
"I am not good at saving at all so I guess the money
would be spent quickly."
Maegashira West 14 from Neyagawa City, Osaka.
Sakaigawa beya. Real name: Gotaro Sawai
Dohyo debut: 2005 Hatsu basho (in his third year at
Saitama Sakae high school, earned the title of High
School yokozuna). Makunouchi debut: this basho (Aki
2007).
183 cm tall, 140 kg. 21 years old.
Favorite moves: Migi-yotsu, yori.
Kyokutenho (12-3) over Tamakasuga by yorikiri, 12.4
seconds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Beating Tamakasuga and recording his personal best of
12 wins as well as awarded his fifth Kanto-sho.
Looking back on his suspension after a traffic
accident)
"This is so gratifying. It's really different from my
previous four Kanto-sho. This one is the best."
"Even though I did overachieve myself this basho by
winning this many but all along I felt unless I'd get
a double digit wins, I would not be recognized to have
returned to Makunouchi fully."
(A possibility of Yusho kettei-sen if Hakuho lost)
"I was watching the bout on TV rather calmly. To be
honest I was hoping I could go up and compete in the
kettei-sen."
Maegashira West 14 from Mongolia. Oshima beya. Real
name: Masaru Ohta.
Dohyo debut: 1992 Haru basho. Makunouchi debut: 1998
Hatsu basho. Sekiwake debut: 2003 Nagoya basho.
Kanto-sho: 5
191 cm tall, 155 kg. 33 years old.
Favorite moves: Migi-yotsu, yori.
Ama (10-5) losing to Kotoshogiku by yorikiri, 6.6
seconds
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"This basho provided me with good practical and
learning experience. I will use the award money to
strengthen myself further."
Komusubi West from Mongolia, Ajigawa beya, Real name:
Davaanyam Byambadorj
Dohyo debut: 2001 Hatsu basho, Makunouchi debut: 2004
Kyushu basho.
Sekiwake debut: 2007 Natsu basho.
Shukun-sho: 1, Kanto-sho: 1, Gino-sho: 1
185 cm, 126 kg. 23 years old.
Favorite moves: Tsuki, oshi, migi-yotsu, yori, nage.
Toyonoshima (8-7) over Asasekiryu by oshidashi, 10.9
seconds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Getting his kachi-koshi and earning a Shukun-sho)
"I was thinkiing I'd be showing a disrepect to the
yokozuna if I ended up getting make-koshi after
beating him."
"It's gratifying to me to receive this award as it
would not be given unless you beat a top rank rikishi
in the yusho race. I am really happy to receive the
three awards all in this year."
Maegashira East 5 from Sukumo City, Kochi Prefecture.
Tokitsukaze beya. Real name: Daiki Kajiwara
Dohoy debut: 2002 Hatsu basho (after passing the
secondary new recruit entry examination).
Makunouchi debut: 2004 Aki basho. Promoted to komusubi
at the Natsu basho.
Shukun-sho: 1 Kanto-sho: 1 Gino-sho: 1
170 cm tall, 141 kg. 24 years old.
Favorite moves: Hidari-yotsu, yori, shitate-nage.
Kotomitsuki (10-5) over Kisenosato by uchimuso, 5.3
seconds
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Finishing his first ozeki basho with 10 wins)
"I felt the basho was so long to me. I believe I
achieved my minimum objective of finishing with a
double digit win record. Especially when I am having a
reception party for my ozeki promotion after the
basho, I cannot go there with make-koshi, right?"
Aminishiki (10-5) over Kotooshu by yorikiri, 3.8
seconds
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(Finishing with a double digit record in his first
sekiwake basho)
"If I ever start fooling myself thinking this is a
good reflection of my ability, I'd fall down real
quick for sure. Humility. That's what I need, I have
to stay humble."
Hakuho (13-2) over Chiyotaikai by yorikiri, 3.6
seconds
---------------------------------------------------------------
(Not being bothered by Chiyotaikai's Tsuppari, he went
on to grab the left mawashi and easily winning the
bout)
"After I lost the day 1, I really wondered what would
happen to me. The toughest time was when I dropped my
second bout. Throughout it was my family who supported
me when I needed the most."
"I am very happy. This one is totally different from
all my previous yusho. I feel pleased that I was able
to fulfill the responsibility as yokozuna by winning
the yusho convincingly."
Kitanoumi oyakata, chairman of the Kyokai
---------------------------------------------------
"This wasn't such an easy yusho for Hakuho. He must be
relieved to get his first yusho as yokozuna, He had
undue
pressures placed on him as the lone yokozuna, feeling
he could not afford to lose. Obviously he probably
felt he would be compapred against the other yokozuna.
But this experiece will undoubtedly help him keep
growing more from now on. I am certain that the next
basho will revolve around Hakuho as it should. This
yusho should afford him to become more calm and lead
into more yusho."
Kumagatani oyakata, Hakuho's personal oyakata
---------------------------------------------------------
"When he lost to Toyonoshima on day 11, I told him he
gave the record (kinboshi) that would stay with him
all his active career. It was a bout in which he
showed his bad old habit of Hari-sashi. I wanted him
to feel the weight and responsibility of his rank."
"But overall I feel he has performed extremely well,
fighting off the pressure of being a lone yokozuna,
especially recovering from the loss on day 1. I know
he has faced each day believing he could not lose to
anyone. I look forward to him putting in more training
so that he could be praised for displaying good sumo
at the Kyushu basho. "
Hanaregoma oyakata (former ozeki Kaiketsu), Director
of Judging
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hakuho has fulfilled his responsibility despite
losing the day 1. I actually didn't feel he was under
so much pressure being a lone yokozuna."
Mihogaseki oyakata (former ozeki Masuiyama), Associate
Director of Judging
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hakuho got the front mawashi quickly today. I am sure
he must be feeling relieved winning his first yusho as
yokozuna."
Kokonoe oyakata (fomer yokozuna Chiyonofuji) Associate
Director of Judging
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We can rate highly of Hakuho shouldering the weight
of lone yokozuna well. But his two losses were nothing
to be praised for. It means there are areas where he
is not solid enough."
Takanohana oyakata (former yokozuna Takanohana)
----------------------------------------------------------------
"In the end Hakuho displayed an excellent sumo. He
must be feeling this yusho as a completely different
than the ones he had as ozeki."
Katsuji Ebisawa, chairman of the Yokozuna Deliberation
Committee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hakuho clearly demonstrated his position as the
Ozumo's backbone by finishing with 13 wins and 2
losses. With the record he did preserve the yokozuna's
honor. I am certain that he would be gaining more
strength and self-confidence as he goes on."
Sansho Award
-----------------
Shukun-sho : Ama, Toyonoshima (both first time)
Kanto-sho: Kyokutenho (5), Goeido (1)
Gino-sho: none.
Yusho
---------
Makunouchi: yokozuna Hakuho (real name: Munkhbat
Davaajargal), from Ulaanbaatar, Miyagino beya
Dohyo debut: 2001 Haru basho Makunouchi debut: 2004
Natsu basho
Promoted to ozeki after 2006 Haru basho and then won
the Haru and Natsu basho was promoted to yokozuna.
192 cm tall, 151 kg. 22 years old.
Favorite moves: Migi-yotsu, yori, uwate-nage.
Yokozuna Hakuho's yusho celebration party was held at
the Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Koto-ward Tokyo, with 120
invited guests and supporters. According to the Shrine
officials this was the first time an Ozumo celebration
party was held at the Shrine hall. At the party his
wife commented, "Everyone expected him to win the
yusho as a lone yokozuna so he was so much pressure on
him".
Jonidan: Hoshizakura beat Hatayama (from Kochi
Prefecture, Shikoroyama beya) at the yusho kettei sen.
West 37 Hoshizakura (Real name: Myagmar Altangerel)
from Mongolia, Hakkaku beya.
Dohyo debut: 2000 Kyushu.
182 cm tall, 136 kg. 23 years old.
Favorite moves: Tsuki, oshi.
All yusho other than Sandanme were won by a foreign
born rikishi. The last and only time the five
divisions were won by foreign born rikishi was at the
2003 Hatsu basho,
Takanowaka
---------------
(On his retirement)
"Ever since I joined Ozumo at 15 years old, I have
learned so much. I was able to even gain Sanyaku
experience. The fact that I have had so many injurues
was a result of my shortcomings. In the last several
years I have not been able to display a good sumo but
each and every single bout I had, I have no regrets
over."
(The most memorable bout at the 2002 Kyushu basho day
8 against ozeki Musoyama)
"It was at my local basho and I was very happy to get
a win from the ozeki.)
(Not certain yet of his next pursuit but Takanowaka
says he wants to recover from his elbow and shoulder
injuries first.) His Intai retirement cermony will be
held at the Kokugian on February 16 next year.
++++++++++++++++
Kitanoumi oyakata, the Kyokai chairman, did not
include any mention of Asashoryu incident in his
Senshuraku speech as expected . He has not done so in
his basho opening speech. There have been criticisms
directed at him as many feel that the Kyokai as a
public corporation has an obligation to explain their
handling of the whole incident to the general public.
However Kitamoumi oyakata maintains that it was a
personal problem caused by Asashoryu himself and the
Kyokai had nothing to apologize for a Kyokai member
whom they already had taken a disciplinary action.
Kitanomi oyakata's unwillingness to apologize for this
type of matter is rather well known. When Roho had a
run-in with photographers at the Nagoya basho last
year, the oyakata said he would rather submit his
resignation than to apologize to anyone.
Even Kyokai insiders are complaining about his lack of
leadership. Some have suggested when Asashoryu first
came back to Japan from Mongolia to apologize to him,
if he sent Asashoryu to the Jyungyo tour right away
and told him to do a dohyo-iri and do some promotion,
then the problem may not have escalated as much as it
did.
++++++++++++++++++++
Despite the absence of yokozuna Asashoryu, the Aki
basho had six sold-out days including the Senshuraku.
350 general admission tickets were all snapped up by
9:10 AM. Kitanoumi oyakata, Kyokai chair,
characterized it as a normal basho with a good finish.
"Overall we had a good basho with substance. Each
individual rikishi approached the basho with a sense
of urgency and as a result we had a stable and safe
basho till the senshuraku," Katsuji Ebisawa, chairman
of the yokozuna deliberation committee said.
Kyushu Banzuke Forecast by Mainichi
--------------------------------------------
East yokozuna Hakuho
West yokozuna Asashosryu
East ozeki Kotomitsuki
West ozeki Chiyotaikai
East ozeki Kotooshu
West ozeki Kaio
East sekiwake Aminishiki
West sekiwake Asasekiryu
East komusubi Ama
West komusubi Homasho
East M1 Kotoshogiku
West M1 Kisenosato
East M2 Miyabiyama
West M2 Dejima
East M3 Kyokutenho
West M3 Kakuryu
East M4 Tokitenku
West M4 Toyonoshima
East M5 Takekaze
West M5 Kasugao
.....Jonosuke
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