He is possibly sumo's brightest rising star, just one step away from the ancient sport's top rank. He's the first European ever to make it so far and -- at 204cm tall and weighing a beefy 144kg -- he truly looks the part.
But Bulgarian sumo champion Kotooshu has a confession to make.
"It's true, as a child I did like baking cakes," he said yesterday. "But now I am totally focused on my training."
PHOTO: AFP
Japan's homegrown wrestlers may wish he stayed by the oven.
Kotooshu is one of a growing number of foreign-born fighters who have put a stranglehold on Japan's national sport, dominating the top positions, winning virtually all of the yearly titles and shoving the local talent out of the spotlight.
The coveted rank of yokozuna, or grand champion, is now held by Mongolia's Asashoryu -- who has won eight of the past nine tournaments. Two of the five wrestlers in the sport's second-highest rank of ozeki, or champion, are also foreigners -- Kotooshu and newly promoted Hakuho, another Mongolian.
Though the foreign stars have devoted followings of fans and have energized the ring with their strength and speed, the failure of Japanese wrestlers to provide much competition has generated a good deal of hand-wringing in the Japan Sumo Association, which oversees the professional sport.
Ticket sales have been declining, it is becoming harder for sumo to find young recruits and TV ratings have fallen significantly compared with a decade or so ago, when Japanese were still more of a factor in the six annual tournaments.
Hopes of a Japanese revival were boosted before the most recent tournament, last month, but were then dashed when ozeki Tochiazuma placed third behind Asashoryu and Hakuho. Kotooshu, coming off an injury, finished the 15-day tournament with a mediocre 9-6 record.
"I think the popularity of sumo is recovering compared with a year or so ago," said Sadogatake, a former wrestler who runs the "stable" where Kotooshu trains. "But it will be hard without the rise of a strong Japanese wrestler."
Sadogatake added, however, that he believes the number of foreigners in the sport now is about right -- each stable is limited to having just one on its roster, for about 60 altogether.
"That rule was suggested by my predecessor, so I can't say anything about it," Sadogatake quipped during a luncheon at the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Japan.
Kotooshu -- born Mahlyanov Kaloyan Stefanov -- had no comment on the impact of foreigners like himself, saying only that he is happy to be competing.
The 24-year-old has risen up the sumo ranks faster than any wrestler before him, reaching champion status in just over three years. He is a sought-after personality on TV commercials and has been named a goodwill ambassador for the EU, which Bulgaria is to join next year.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS