[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - Wakatakakage Wakamotoharu, and another Mongolian recruit

[Jeff A]

Moti

Best regards,
G

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: Tue, Nov 3, 2026 at 2:17 AM
Subject: [Sumo news] - Wakatakakage Wakamotoharu, and another Mongolian
recruit
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


Wakatakakage participated in asageiko on the 3rd at Arashio beya’s
temporary lodgings in Sue Town, Fukuoka. With the Kyushu Basho fast
approaching, he demonstrated his recovery by winning all six of his bouts.
He faced a series of opponents, including Tanji, Daiseizan, and Hatsuyama,
and defeated them all. He also faced his older brother, Wakamotoharu twice,
winning both times, notably by driving him straight out from the tachiai.
The previous day, during a joint training session for Tokitsukaze ichimon ,
he remained undefeated against rikishi from  Makuuchi, including Daieishou.
While his preparation appears to be progressing well, Wakatakakage remained
composed, noting, "It’s not about winning or losing; I’m just focused on
executing my own style of sumo." During butsugari-keiko, he frequently took
the role of the stationary partner, bracing firmly against the impact with
his left leg, a movement he dismissed by saying, "It’s just the same as
always; nothing has really changed." With the Kyushu Basho just five days
away, he has yet to confirm whether he will compete. "The tournament is
coming up soon, so it’s hard to say for sure," he explained. "I’m just
doing what I need to do—that’s all I can focus on right now." His Oyakata
Arashio offered only a brief comment: "We’ll see how things go before
making a decision."

Wakamotoharu participated in asageiko on the 3rd at the Arashio beya's
lodgings. He faced his younger brother Juryo Wakatakakage, who has recently
returned from a left-leg injury, and lost both of their bouts. The previous
day, Wakamotoharu had participated in the rengo-keiko session of the
Tokitsukaze ichimon, where he faced opponents including Ozeki Kirishima .
Today, he engaged in nine bouts against rikishi the likes of Wakatakakage,
Daiseizan, and Tanji, getting five wins. "I had a solid session during the
rengo-keiko yesterday, including bouts against an Ozeki," he reflected.
"Today, I was testing things out, but I was able to perform better than I
expected." His younger brother, who underwent emergency surgery in July for
compartment syndrome in his thigh, has now returned to the dohyo, and the
two faced each other during today’s session. At one point, Wakatakakage
drove him back with a powerful tachiai; Wakamotoharu was visibly impressed,
noting that his brother’s strength remains "unchanged" from before the
injury. "His recovery is faster than I anticipated—that’s surely a
testament to his own hard work," he remarked. As for himself, Wakamotoharu
secured 10 wins in the  Aki Basho, his first double-digit win total in 11
tournaments (since the 2024 Kyushu Basho)—but he remains level-headed,
stating, "A result is just a result. Reaching double-digit wins doesn't
necessarily mean I’m in peak form." Looking ahead, he expressed his
determination: "My focus for this tournament is simply to execute my own
style of sumo; if that leads to good results, then so be it."

 Luvsuren Myanganbayar (24, Ootake beya), is a Mongolian native who left a
corporate job to pursue sumo. Standing 169 centimeters tall and weighing
126 kilograms, he met the entry requirements, a minimum height of 167
centimeters and a minimum weight of 67 kilograms. "When I first came to
Japan, I had a goal of joining professional sumo. I’m so happy," he said
with a smile. He arrived in Japan at age 15 to study sumo at Kibogaoka High
School in Fukuoka. During his senior year at Toyo University, he reached
the top 16 in the All-Japan Student Sumo Championships. Although this
qualified him for entry at the bottom of Sandanme, he faced a hurdle: each
heya is permitted only one foreign-born rikishi. After graduating from
university, he worked for a real estate company with an office in Roppongi,
selling studio apartments. Spending his days making cold calls, he admitted
that he had "partially given up" on the idea of entering the sumo world. He
stopped training after entering the workforce, and his weight—which had
once peaked at 135 kilograms—dropped to 103 kilograms. Even so, he couldn't
quite let go of his dream, noting, "I still had a desire to take on the
challenge of professional sumo." He attended last year’s All-Japan Sumo
Championships and made a direct appeal to  Ootake Oyakata ( ex-Tamaasuka).
"I spotted the Oyakata at the venue and introduced myself," he recounted—a
bold, "cold-call" style approach. His enthusiasm won him a spot in the
heya, and he resigned from his job in February, beginning his training at
the heya this past March. Having built his weight back up to 126 kilograms,
he is now ready to prove himself on the dohyo. "I’m aiming to become a
Yokozuna," he said, looking forward to his new career. "I want to become a
sekitori as soon as possible and become a rikishi whom people will want to
support." — Daiki Iioka


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