[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - More from the Aonishiki press conference

[Jeff A]

Moti


Best regards,
Gaijingai

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these:
It might have been.
- John Greenleaf Whittier

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Moti Dichne <niramiai at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 27, 2026 at 6:40 AM
Subject: [Sumo news] - More from the Aonishiki press conference
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


 Having achieved his return to the rank of Ozeki and winning the yusho in
just one tournament, he expressed his feelings, saying, "I am very happy
that I was able to finish the final day properly and hold a press
conference like this. I have a great sense of accomplishment." Rather than
the number of 10 wins needed to return to Ozeki, what was in front of him
was anxiety about injury. "Rather than really aiming for 10 wins, I was
just trying to overcome my anxiety day by day. I feel like I wasn't really
fixated on the numbers." When he injured his left leg during the
tournament, he said, "It was a shock. There was almost no time to heal."
When he looked at his leg, he thought, "This might be a bit tough." Even
so, he "never considered" taking a break. He said that even when he talked
to his Oyakata, there was no talk of taking a break. "I believe in myself,
I listen carefully to what my Oyakata says, and I never give up, and thanks
to that, I feel like I am where I am today," he reflected. He didn't change
his sumo style either. Considering the state of his injury, he could have
chosen to shift at the tachiai. "Honestly, I had a lot of thoughts, but I
felt that it wasn't like me." He might have won, but he thought that would
"not lead to the next step." "My main theme was to do my best with what I
could do so that I would have no regrets." Whether he won or lost, he stuck
to his own style of going straight for the win so that it would lead to the
next step. He lost in the main match and went to a playoff, but he didn't
waver there. "I felt that I had the advantage if it came down to a
playoff." His two previous yushos were also won by winning playoffs.
Experience gave him confidence in his final match. He was demoted to
Sekiwake, and he battled injury. He transformed the hardships he had never
experienced before into the Emperor's Cup in the end. "My ranking never
dropped, so I'm really glad I had that experience. I feel like I've become
a little stronger mentally. It was tough, but I think it was a valuable
opportunity."

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