2 posts tagged “mongolia”
Well, this is quite a year for sumo overseas. In addition to the LA tour below, it looks like there will also be a tour to Mongolia on August 27 and 28.
This time, instead of just the top ranks of rikishi boarding the plane across the sea, all of the Mongolian boys, of whichever rank, will be able to attend. That's nice. A few of the Mongolian rikishi have languished in the non-salaried ranks or lower than the makunouchi (top ranking level) division, so I know they will all be happy to visit their homeland again! Usually, non-Japanese rikishi are not permitted to return to their homelands until they reach juryo, or, in some cases, high makushita. There have, however, been some stablemasters who have rewarded a good performance or who have tried to boost morale with a trip "home", such as Nishikido Oyakata for Kazafuzan and Tatsunami Oyakata for Daionami, (not necessarily for each of those reasons, respectively). In fact, I just heard from one of the sandanme boys who is just ecstatic, and justifiably so, about returning home after over three years..
This is also exciting, of course, for the two yokozuna, who I am sure are anxious to perform together in their home country for their sumo fans there who may not be able to go to Japan! I know that Asashoryu has been lobbying for this tour for quite some time now.
Stay tuned.........
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Well, the first day of the sumo in Osaka and I am NOT happy. First of all, with the time change here on the East Coast, the DVR got all messed up and only recorded the first hour of today's bouts. I mean, I was happy to see Wakanosato getting back in form with his shonichi win, but I really needed to see the last bout of the day. At 8:00 AM, then, I turned on the 10 minute newscast fron NHK - that's TVJapan here in the States. Usually very local and boring and who cares type news, as soon as I heard the word "ohzumo", I went "uh-oh". And then my worst fear was realized. Tokitenku did wuite a do-si-do and the Yokozuna just couldn't turn himself back around quite in time, and, yep, down he went!
Of course, I comfort myself by saying "Hah! He just wanted to show that he is not involved in the yaocho allegations reported in that rag, the Shukan Gendai, after January's tournament". Especially so, since all but two of the Ozeki lost, as well. But that's okay. Asashoryu will come back with a vengeance . He REALLY hates to lose.
Anyway, I never did get the chance to start in on the serious work for this blog yet, so please bear with me. I have to figure out how to upload my personal videos, either here, or on My Tube, or anywhere on the web that I can give you all a link to.
