Re: less gaijin rikishi

[hank@westford.ccur.com]

Masumi Abe <abe@kaleida.com> writes:
>Now it seems that a foreigner needs to have been living in Japan for a some
>number of years before applying to a heya. If this is the case, it will be
>much more difficult for a foreigner to apply to be a rikishi.

Much more difficult given the age at which rikishi typically enter
the heya.  It would seem that you will have to go to high school in 
Japan and how many high schoolers know in their freshman year that
they want to become rikishi?

More significantly I believe that any attempt of the Sumo Kyoukai to 
restrict the elegibility of foreign rikishi reduces the stature of
the Japanese rikishi.  It indicates that the Japanese rikishi have
to be protected from the bigger stronger foreigners.  What nonesense.
It is an insult to the majesty of a truly great rikishi like Chiyonofuji
to imply that he couldn't have achieved what he did if foreigners 
were allowed to compete.  Sumo must strive not to be like Japanese Baseball
where the Japanese have virtually admitted that they are only bush leaguers
by restricting the number of foreigners on the teams.  Imagine US baseball
without it's foreign players, no Fernando Valensuela.