[sumo] The 53 All Japan Sumo Championship - December 12 at Kokugikan

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

The 53rd All Japan Sumo Championship will be held at
the Ryogoku Kokugikan on December 12. It is the stage
to crown the year's top amateur rikishi in the country
and this year we have the Tournament's only High
School student vying for the top position.

Gotaro Sawai, 18, from Saitama Sakae High School,
already captured the so-called High School Sumo Triple
Crown - Spring Sumo Championship, All Japan All Sports
Festival in summer and the Fall Sports Festival Group
Youth Tournament.

Sawai won a total of 11 major national titles in his
three years at the High School. Now he will be trying
to become the second High School student ever to win
the title since Keita Kushima (former Kushimaumi) from
Wakayama Prefecture's Shingu High did it in 1983.

Gotaro Sawai was born in Neyagawa City, Osaka and
started taking sumo lessons when he turned nine years
old at a famed Furuichi Dojyo (run by Makushita
Furuichi's father) in Katano City. Two years later he
won All Japan "Wanpaku Sumo" Tournament for Elementary
School students but he never made it to any national
level tournament while he was in Middle School as he
could not gain enough weight. "I was regularly
attending the practices at the dojo but since I
couldn't win at all I really did not work out harder,"
Sawai said.

When he was wondering about his future plan after
graduating from the Middle School, he got a call from
Manager of Saitama Sakae Sumo Club Michinori Yamada,
38, who recognized Sawai's potential since he saw him
at All Wanpaku Sumo Tournament years ago and invited
him to join them. Sawai took the offer and decided to
go to Saitama Sakae. Sawai was taken into the school
sumo club's dormitory by Yamada and his wife while he
continued his high school studies at the
Saitama Sakae.

Manager Yamada encouraged him to learn a rapid sumo
style by charging straight from tachiai and then take
the right and then get the left uwate to take
advantage of his speed as he could run 50 meters in 7
seconds. He kept practicing Chiyonofuji style hard
hitting head first technique daily. "He always had a
great hidden ability so once we got him to get
motivated, his progress was quick," Yamada said.

Sawai became a regular team member in his first year
and contributed in their capture of the group title at
All Japan High School Tournament and National Sports
Festival. He also won the individual class Yusho at
the National Sports Festival for two straight years.
His weight also went up to 130 kg.

To prepare for this year's National Sports Festival
held in Saitama, Sawai trained with members of the
sumo club at Nihon Tsuun which won All Japan Corporate
Tournament and got their members mesmerized. Several
college sumo coaches
are already predicting for him to finish in the Best
8.

At All Japan Championship, there are three preliminary
rounds and the top 32 will advance to the final phase.
Sawai partcipated in the last year's Championship but
he had only 1 win and 2 losses record and did not
advance to the final.

This year he will face this year's College Yokozuna
Hakiai of Kinki University, Ikeura (Shimizu High
School teacher in Kochi Prefecture and the third place
finisher in the 2002
All Japan College Championship) and Hirayama of Nihon
University Sumo Club. Sawai will need to win at least
two bouts to advance to the Final.

He is the same age as Makuuchi Kisenosato who joined
Ozumo right after his graduation from Middle School.
"Turning pro is the only way to go. I'd like to make
my
dohyo debut at the Hatsu Basho next year," Sawai said.
If Sawai wins the All Japan, he will become the first
High School student ever to earn Makushita Tsukedashi
qualification.


=====
.....Jonosuke 
  <  Heart  Technique  Physique      &#24515;&#12288;&#25216;&#12288;&#20307;&#12288;>

______________________________________________________________________ 
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
[EndPost by Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]