More on Korean Tour

["Rowan Klein" <rowanchan@hotmail.com>]

Found this in the Sydney Morning Herald website. Was wondering who the 
spokewoman for the Kyokai is? Anyone have any ideas?

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/12/10/1039379835784.html

Japan eyes first Sumo tournament in South Korea
December 11 2002

The Japan Sumo Association plans to hold its first tournament in South Korea 
next year, said a spokeswoman for the nation's traditional wrestling body 
yesterday.

"The association plans to hold our first Sumo exhibition tournament in South 
Korea sometime next year," the spokeswoman said.

"Details of the tournament will be discussed after the association's board 
members make a final decision."

Kyodo News Agency, quoting sumo officials, said the association planned to 
hold a two-day exhibition in Seoul in June.

If decided, the tour will become another cooperation in sports between Japan 
and South Korea since the two nations hosted the 2002 World Cup football 
finals earlier this year.

After the successful joint hosting of the World Cup, sumo officials have 
decided to make the trip, Kyodo said.

The association has so far held Sumo events in 10 countries since the first 
overseas tour was in the former Soviet Union in 1965. It will be the first 
tour in Asia since its visit to China in 1973.

South Korea, which suffered Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule, eased 
regulations on Japanese culture in the late 1980s, including allowing pop 
concerts and the screening of Japanese films since the late 1990s.

Sumo is already broadcast on satellite television in South Korea and fans 
are said to be increasing, Kyodo said.

Kasugao, a 25-year-old wrestler from Seoul in the second-highest "juryo" 
division, is the highest-ranked South Korean ever to compete in professional 
sumo.




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