2003 in sumo
Encyclopedia
Tournaments
- Hatsu bashoHonbashoA is an official professional sumo tournament. There are six held each year, a system established in 1958. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
, Ryogoku KokugikanRyogoku Kokugikan, also known as Sumo Hall, is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ryōgoku neighborhood of Sumida, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo in Japan, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is the third building built in Tokyo associated with the name kokugikan. The current building was opened in 1985 and has a...
, TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 12 - 26 January - Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, 9 - 23 March - Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 - 25 May
- Nagoya basho, Aichi Prefectural GymnasiumAichi Prefectural GymnasiumThe is an all purpose gymnasium in Aichi, Japan, built in 1964. Located on the site of the secondary enclosure of Nagoya Castle, it is host to numerous concerts and events...
, Nagoya, 6 - 20 July - Aki basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 7 - 21 September
- Kyushu basho, Fukuoka International Centre, KyushuKyushuis the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, 9 - 23 November
January
- At the Hatsu basho in Tokyo, Takanohana, winner of 22 tournament championships, announces his retirement from sumo after eight years as a yokozuna, after suffering three defeats in the first seven days. He had suffered many injury problems and had only recently returned from a seven tournament layoff. His fellow yokozuna Musashimaru sits out the whole tournament after injuring his wrist in the previous tourney. Also missing are ozeki KaioKaio HiroyukiKaiō Hiroyuki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan.He made his debut in 1988, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1993. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for eleven years from 2000 to 2011, and is the longest-serving ozeki of all time in terms of...
and Chiyotaikai, and Tochiazuma who drops out after five losses in a row. In their absence, ozeki Asashoryu wins his second succcesive makuuchiMakuuchior is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
division championship, with a 14-1 record, and is promoted to yokozuna. He becomes the third foreigner, and first MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
n, to reach sumo's highest rank. Komusubi Wakanosato, and maegashira DejimaDejima TakeharuDejima Takeharu is a former sumo wrestler from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1996, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year...
and Tochinonada, are runners-up on 11-4. Wakanosato is awarded the Fighting Spirit prize along with KoreanSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
Kasugao. The juryo division championship is won by Asashoryu's stablemate Asasekiryu who defeats Buyuzan in a playoff. - Former komusubi RyogokuRyogoku KajinosukeRyōgoku Kajinosuke is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. He is now a sumo coach.-Career:...
inherits the toshiyoriToshiyoriA toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
name of Sakaigawa from former yokozuna Sadanoyama, and changes the name of his stable from Nakadachi to Sakaigawa stableSakaigawa stableSakaigawa stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi group of stables. It was established in its modern form on 25 May 1998 by former komusubi Ryogoku, who branched off from Dewanoumi stable...
.
February
- Former sekiwake Takatoriki takes over the running of Otake stableOtake stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers.It was set up in 1971, as Taihō stable, by yokozuna Taihō Kōki on his retirement from wrestling. It passed on to his son-in-law Ōtake on his retirement...
from his father-in-law, former yokozuna TaihoTaiho KokiTaihō Kōki is the 48th Yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. He became a yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time, and he won a record 32 tournaments between 1960 and 1971...
. - Former sekiwake Tochinowaka takes over the running of Kasugano stableKasugano stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi group of stables. As of November 2007 it had 24 wrestlers. It is currently one of the most successful stables, with five sekitori wrestlers, including the Georgian Tochinoshin and the Korean born Tochinowaka, who uses the current head coach's...
from former yokozuna Tochinoumi.
March
- At the Haru basho in Osaka, Chiyotaikai returns from injury to win his third top division championship with a 12-3 record. Asashoryu scores 10-5 in his debut tournament as a yokozuna, enough for the runner-up position alongside Kaio and maegashira Kyokushuzan and Hokutoriki. Musashimaru and Tochiazuma sit the tournament out. Kyokushuzan's stablemate Kyokutenho wins the Fighting Spirit prize, and Takamisakari the Technique Award. Tochisakae wins the juryo championship. Veteran former komusubi Daizen retires after 22 years in sumo, as does former juryo wrestler Susanoumi, the heaviest Japanese rikishi ever at some 240kg.
May
- At the Natsu basho in Tokyo, Asashoryu takes his first championship as a yokozuna with a 13-2 record. Kaio is runner-up on 11-4, alongside maegashira Aminishiki who wins the Technique Prize. Chiyotaikai finishes on 10-5. Kyokushuzan wins the Outstanding Performance prize for his victory over Asashoryu, his first in six attempts. Kyokutenho receives the Fighting Spirit prize for the second tournament in a row, for his fine 10-5 score at komusubi, and is promoted to sekiwake for the first time. Tamakasuga wins the juryo championship and returns to the top division. Former sekiwake Akinoshima, who has been ranked continuously in makuuchi since July 1988 and is the last top division wrestler from the Showa era still active in sumo, retires at the age of 36 after a 6-9 score relegates him to juryo.
- 31: The danpatsu-shiki or retirement ceremony of popular former sekiwake Terao is held at the Kokugikan.
June
- 1: Takanohana's retirement ceremony takes place at the Kokugikan. He performs the yokozuna dohyo-iri or ring entering ceremony for the last time, and his hair is cut by his uncle Wakanohana Kanji IWakanohana Kanji Iwas a sumo wrestler, the sport's 45th Yokozuna .Wakanohana's younger brother was the late former ozeki Takanohana Kenshi and he was the uncle of Takanohana Koji and Wakanohana Masaru...
, his brother Wakanohana MasaruWakanohana Masaruis a former sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. As an active wrestler he was known as Wakanohana III Masaru , and his rise through the ranks alongside his younger brother Takanohana Koji saw a boom in sumo's popularity in the early 1990s...
, and finally his father Takanohana KenshiTakanohana KenshiTakanohana Kenshi 貴ノ花健士 was a sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki, which he held for fifty tournaments. As an active rikishi he was extremely popular and was nicknamed the "prince of sumo" due to his good looks and relatively slim build...
. The event is broadcast live on Japanese television.
July
- At the Nagoya basho, Kaio wins his fourth top division championship with a 12-3 record after defeating fellow ozeki Chiyotaikai on the final day. Chiyotaikai finishes runner-up on 11-4. Musashimaru returns for the first time since November 2002 but drops out once again with a recurrence of his wrist problem. Asashoryu also withdraws through injury. He had been disqualified from a bout earlier in the tournament after pulling on the chonmageChonmageThe chonmage is a form of Japanese traditional haircut worn by men. It is most commonly associated with the Edo Period and samurai, and in recent times with sumo wrestlers...
of Mongolian rival Kyokushuzan, the first yokozuna ever to suffer a disqualification. The two wrestlers scuffle in the bathroom after the match, and Asashoryu also breaks the wing mirror of Kyokushuzan's car. Takamisakari, who had defeated both yokozuna, receives his first Outstanding Performance award. Tokitsuumi receives his third Technique Prize. The juryo division championship is won by Kakizoe.
September
- At the Aki basho in Tokyo, Asashoryu wins his second championship as a yokozuna, third of the year, and fourth overall, with a 13-2 record. He finishes two wins ahead on a trio of wrestlers on 11-4: Chiyotaikai, sekiwake Wakanosato and maegashira Iwakiyama. Kaio, who had been told a 15-0 score was necessary for yokozuna promotion, can only manage 7-8. Musashimaru sits the tournament out. Wakanosato receives the Outstanding performance Award while Iwakiyama wins the Technique prize and Kyokutenho and Takamisakari share the Fighting spirit prize. Takekaze wins the juryo championship.
November
- Former yokozuna AkebonoAkebono Tarois a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
announces he is leaving his oyakata position to become a K-1K-1K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
fighter. - At the Kyushu basho, Musashimaru retires after his second attempted comeback ends in failure, losing four matches in the first seven days. He is the last wrestler from HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in sumo, a legacy that began with Takamiyama in 1964. Lower down the ranks, former maegashira Aogiyama and the American born Sentoryu also announce their retirements. Ozeki Tochiazuma wins the makuuchi championship, his second, with a score of 13-2. Asashoryu finishes in second place, one win behind, after losing to Tochiazuma on the final day. Veterans Tochinonada and Tosanoumi, with three wins over yokozuna between them in this basho, share the Outstanding Performance Prize. Tamanoshima wins the Fighting Spirit prize. In the juryo division GeorgianGeorgian peopleThe Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
KokkaiKokkai FutoshiKokkai Futoshi is a professional sumo wrestler from Georgia. He began his career in May 2001. He is the first Caucasian rikishi to reach sumo's highest division, makuuchi, which he achieved in 2004. His highest rank has been komusubi, which he reached in 2006...
wins the championship with a fine 14-1 record and becomes the first CaucasianWhite peopleWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
to be promoted to the top division. The makushita yusho is won by veteran Daimanazuru, with an unbeaten 7-0 score, who earns promotion to the sekitori ranks for the first time. Runner-up on 6-1 is the 18 year old Mongolian Hakuho, who is also promoted to juryo.
December
- Former maegashira Higonoumi branches out from Mihogaseki stableMihogaseki stableThe is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. Its current head coach, former ozeki Masuiyama Daishiro II took charge in November 1984. He is the son of the previous head, also an ozeki under the name Masuiyama, making it one of only three current stables...
and opens up his own Kise stableKise stableKise stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It established in December 2003 by former maegashira Higonoumi, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable. The stable's first top division wrestler was Ichihara , a former amateur champion, in January 2008...
.
Deaths
- 28 April: Yamawake Oyakata, who as the former maegashira Tochifuji defeated Taiho in the yokozuna's final tournament in May 1971, dies aged 56.
- 17 December: Former komusubi Fujinishiki, also the former head of the Takasago stableTakasago stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables.It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these kanji is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋"....
, dies of liver diseaseLiver diseaseLiver disease is a broad term describing any single number of diseases affecting the liver.-Diseases:* Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but also by some poisons , autoimmunity or hereditary conditions...
aged 66. Asashoryu is criticised for not returning from Mongolia to attend his funeral.