A few pieces of news in the sumo world

["Thierry PERRAN" <thierry.perran@club-internet.fr>]

Hi everybody,

As we all are waiting for the next natsu basho, I am going to tell some
interesting news I found on the internet.

About one of the greatest yokozuna of all time, Takanohana :
Last sunday (the 13th of April), yokozuna Takanohana performed in Yokosuka
city (Kanagawa prefecture) his final yokozuna dohyo-iri in a jungyo tour.
For that historical day, yokozuna Musashimaru was his tachi-mochi (sword
bearer), and yokozuna Asashoryu was his tsuyu-harai. It was only the second
time in sumo history that a three-yokozuna dohyo-iri occured in a jungyo
tour. It happened for the first time in March 2000, when freshly retired
Wakanohana performed a yokozuna dohyo-iri with yokozuna Akebono as
tachi-mochi and yokozuna Musashimaru as tsuyu-harai.

For this very special event, 5000 people watched Takanohana in his three
yokozuna dohyo-iri, and simply got crazy each time Takanohana stomped the
ground with his feet, by shouting loudly "Japan number one". The atmosphere
was so electric, that Musashimaru said afterwards he was really tense. Young
yokozuna Asashoryu said he was completely moved and tears came to his eyes.
It seems that this three-yokozuna dohyo-iri was not pretty much scheduled
and came to Takanohana as a surprise. During his interview, an emotive
Takanohana said he wanted to thank both yokozuna, the two most prestigious
rikishi, for what they did for him that day, and would never forget it.

For people who live in Japan, it is still possible to see Takanohana
performs a yokozuna dohyo-iri, but you will have to get to Kokugikan on the
31st of May for the retirement ceremony of Terao or on the 1st of June for
his own retirement ceremony (what a coming sad day !).

Let's swith to Takamisakari :
Recently, Takamisakari becomes one of the most popular rikishi in maku-uchi,
thanks to his pre-bout antics but also thanks to his determination to fight
to the very end of a bout. In spite of his good results and his quite
possible return to san-yaku in natsu basho, Takamisakari is not satisfied
with his sumo, and feels he has to gain more power to get through this
"san-yaku wall" to stay in san-yaku or hopefully to reach ozeki.

Unfortunately, Takamisakari has no predisposition to put on weight
naturally. Despite all his effort in eating more food, his body weight got
from 132 kg in his makushita tsukedashi debut in Haru basho 1999 to 135 kg
in Haru basho 2003. Accordingly, like former ozeki Kirishima, he has decided
to drink proteine mixtures to help him to put on weight since the beginning
of the haru jungyo. His goal is to reach 140 kg for next natsu basho and to
stabilize there. He wants to gain more power, but he also wants to keep good
speed. You have to rememeber that the average weight in maku-uchi is 153 kg,
so Takamisakari would remain a rather 'light' rikishi anyway.

That's all folks, and I hope you enjoy the reading.

Greetings from Paris,

Thierry