[sumo] [spoiler] Rikishi Talk Basho 4 Day 12

[Barbara]

Rikishi Talk Nagoya Day 12 (Jonosuke)

  Masatsukasa (8-4) over Takekaze by oshidashi, 3.1 seconds
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(Getting kachikoshi in his Makuuchi debut basho)
"Actually I wanted to get it done a bit earlier. But it still makes me 
extremely happy."

Toyohibiki (9-3) over Kimurayama by oshitaoshi, 10.8 seconds
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(Unstoppable like a runaway freight train, despite having his back 
turned to Kimurayama, smartly reversing and turned around to snatch the 
victory)
"To be honest for a moment I thought I was done for good. But the fact I 
still manage to win even encountering such a dire situation proves I 
must be in a great condition."
(About wiggling himself next to Hakuho on the yusho board)
"???"
"All I am doing right now is doing my best to prepare myself for the 
next basho."

Tochinonada (5-7) over Homasho by yorikiri, 8.7 seconds
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(After circling around the entire dohyo, exhausted and was pushed out by 
Homasho...so everyone including the gyoji thought. But saved by a 
mono-ii as Homasho's foot was found to be out of the dohyo before 
Tochinonanda stepped out)
"Actually I saw his foot going out. Once we got into the mono-ii, I 
figured I won it."
"Running around the whole dohyo once was tough. I couldn't have possibly 
done another one for sure..."

Toyonoshima (8-4) over Wakanoho by sotogake, 5.0 seconds
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(Calmly setting aside Wakanoho and getting kachikoshi as a komusubi)
"I never faced him at all. Shogiku (Kotoshogiku) advised me it's better 
to go after him not thinking of anything else. So that's exactly what I 
did."
"I am so exceptionally happy. I am aiming for a higher rank. To get to 
the next step up, I want to keep winning more. I hope to have my name 
mentioned as a possible ozeki candidate next basho.""

Ama (8-4) over Kotooshu by tottari, 2.4 seconds
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(Stopping his losing streak at three)
"The next three days will be so crucial. I am going to keep winning from 
now on. I am definitely going after a double digits win record this basho."

Kaio (8-4) over Wakanosato by okuridashi, 8.8 seconds
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(Celebrating his 36th birthday by overpowering another equally powerful 
rikishi and then placing himself as the third most Makuuchi bout winning 
rikishi)
"Today I was able to move really well so I was able to go after him 
right way."
"Nothing special about today. It's just like any other day. Right now I 
am trying to take care of myself physically by making sure to clear well 
each and every day."

Kotomitsuki (9-3) over Goeido by yorikiri, 8.6 seconds
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"My mind started wandering at tachiai as a target my opponent started 
looking too small. I ended up not hitting him hard at all out of 
tachiai. But then I got myself in my firm migi-yotsu position. So it 
went all right."
(At least preserving his three loss record and not let Hakuho get the 
yusho on Day 12)
"We couldn't really allow him to get the yusho today, could we? Now I 
sure want to come up and display a good sumo against him and stop that 
winning streak right then."

Chiyotaikai (8-4) losing to Hakuho by yorikiri, 9.4 seconds
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(Couldn't stop Hakuho's winning streak)
"I let him get the good firm step out of tachiai. He had such firm 
grounding that I couldn't push him away. Simply I couldn't reverse the 
flow. I couldn't do anything against him."

Hakuho (12-0) over Chiyotaikai
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"He does all that pulling so I kept that in mind. I had a good balance 
today."
(Despite overwhelming humidity and heat of Nagoya, keeping himself cool, 
letting nothing to disturb his composure)
"Of course I am well aware that the yusho is on the line but I am going 
with my own pace and I just keep going out and do my best. I just want 
to show a good sumo. You just don't get too ahead of yourself. You 
should be putting focus only on one bout at a time."
(On winning Zen-sho (no loss) yusho)
"Sure you think about it. It's not something you can pretend you are not 
interested."
(Telling his dream to a friend living in Nagoya, possibly hoping for a 
baby born in August)
"My father was a great yokozuna in Mongolian sumo. Myself I am aiming to 
be a great yokozuna in Japan. But if it just didn't stop at a father and 
son but can you imagine how great it will be if it can continue on for 
the three generations?"

Kitanoumi oyakata, chairman of the Kyokai
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(On Hakuho)
"His sumo is solid. He is steady. Well I guess it's well over 90% 
certain now."

Kumagatani oyakata, Hakuho's shisho
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(On Hakuho)
"He is showing self-awareness as yokozuna. Right now I can't find any 
fault with him nor any request to make to him."
"If he stays within his own sumo and goes about his business as usual, I 
can't see him losing at all."


Jiro (Yobidashi)
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(The west steps of the dohyo partially crumbled down for about 40 cm 
during a Makushita bout today. After the Juryo dohyo-iri, yobidashi 
quickly did a emergency fast aid fix but it requires more permanent 
repair. It will be done prior to the start of the tomorrow's bouts.)
"I think because of all this heat with air conditioning working extra 
hard, the air must got to be too dry and resulted in a condition the 
dohyo would easily crumble."


Yusho Race Board
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Makuuchi:
0 loss - Hakuho
3 losses - Kotomitsuki, Toyohibiki
Juryo:
3 losses: Kitataiki, Bushyuyama, Aran, Tosayutaka
Makushita:
0 loss - Hoshikaze (Oguruma beya, from Mongolia), Yotsuguruma (Irumagawa 
beya, from Iwate)
Note: Hoshikaze is at West 12 and if he wins one more, he assures 
himself of Juryo promotion.
Sandanme:
0 loss - Surugatsukasa (Irumagawa beya, from Shizuoka), Fukao (Kise 
beya, from Aichi - Fukao has not lost since his Jonokuchi debut, 
currently on a 20 bout winning streak), Homarefuji (Isegahama beya, from 
Aomori)
Jonidan:
0 loss - Yamashita (Kise beya, from Kagoshima), Kamei (Kise beya, from 
Kagawa), Tokachiumi (Hakkaku beya, from Hokkaido)
Jonokuchi:
0 loss - Sasayama (Kise beya, from Aomori), Ozakiumi (Dewanoumi beya, 
from Shizuoka)

Record
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Kaio - 747th Makuuchi win, pulling ahead of Taiho and third most in sumo 
history. (First is Chiyonofuji with 807 and second is Kitanoumi with 804)

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At their Directors meeting held on July 24, the Kyokai approved the 
action plans compiled by their committee to prevent recurrence of death 
by their rikishi. The report was requested by Ministry of Education and 
Science after the death of Tokitsukaze Beya rikishi last year. Kitanoumi 
oyakata, chairman of the Kyokai, and Isenoumi oyakata, chairman of the 
prevention committe, are scheduled to submit the formal report to 
Minister Kisaburo Tokai and Deputy Minister Matsunami on July 25, 
earlier than scheduled.

Isenoumi oyakata, chairman of the prevention committee
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"I can't comment about the content or details right now but basically we 
summarized what we have been discussing in the committee meetings."