Aonishiki

[Moti Dichne]

For Aonishiki, who hails from Ukraine, the Grand Sumo Paris Koen was not a triumphant return. He came to Japan after the Russian invasion of his home country. His first overseas trip was to London last October, where he received great support as a rikishi from Europe. A sumo reporter says: "He was promoted to Ozeki after winning the November tournament immediately after returning to Japan. He also won the January tournament as a new Ozeki, and there was much speculation that he might become a Yokozuna in his second tournament as an Ozeki, and at that point there was a possibility that he would participate in the Paris performance as a Yokozuna. His parents, who escaped the war, live in Düsseldorf, Germany (take note, @Benihana), which is close to the French border, so he must have been eager to make a triumphant return to mainland Europe as a Yokozuna. He was in danger of demotion in the May tournament, but injured his left ankle during a pre-tournament training session and had to miss the entire tournament. He was demoted after only three basho as an Ozeki. The Paris koen was based on the May tournament rankings, so outwardly it was to be a triumphant return as an Ozeki, but his feelings must be complicated. I think his true feelings are that he wanted to continue training in Japan in order to regain his Ozeki rank. Even during his London performance last year, he kept sightseeing to a minimum and spent his free time going to a local gym. Given his serious personality, there's no doubt he's not in a triumphant mood," (the aforementioned reporter). On June 7th, before the Paris Koen, 1,100 people gathered at a hotel in Tokyo for an "Ozeki promotion party." There were rumors that the event would be canceled because his demotion had already been decided, but it was an official event of the Kyokai, attended by Chairman Hakkaku  so it couldn't be easily canceled. A Kyokai official said: "Princess Aiko is a great fan of Aonishiki. During the January tournament this year, a 'basho attended by the Emperor and Empress' was held for the first time in six years, and Princess Aiko watched from the VIP seats. After the day, Princess Aiko expressed a desire to meet Aonishiki, and not only did she get to meet him, but she also had an unusual meeting with the Yokozuna and Ozeki. The Kyokai values Aonishiki as a model student rikishi, but it is considered quite unlikely that he will be promoted back to Ozeki.

 If he achieves 10 or more wins in the next tournament, he can be reinstated as an Ozeki, but "it won't be easy," says one young Oyakata. "He had six consecutive tournaments with double-digit wins since his debut in Makuuchi until the January tournament this year, but in the two tournaments where he won the yusho playoff, he had 12 wins, and the rest were 11 wins. At 182 cm and 141 kg, he is below average size among the top-ranked rikishi, and he has managed to pick up wins by using a variety of techniques in situations where he was on the defensive. He has struggled against rikishi like Yoshinofuji   (1-3), Daieishou (1-3 ), Churanoumi (1-2), and Ouhou (3-3 ), who aggressively push forward with their sumo. He also lost to them in the March tournament. In addition, Atamifuji, Takanoshou, and Kotoshouhou, who have defeated him, are listed high in the rankings for the July tournament." The two Yokozuna (Houshouryuu and Oonosato) who were absent from the last tournament will also be competing. He has a good record against Houshouryuu, (4 -1), but he has never beaten Oonosato, losing all 4 of their matches. Against Ozeki Kotozakura, who had a record of 3 wins, 9 losses, and 3 absences last basho, he has a record of 5-1, but Kotozakura is also in danger of demotion, so he will be stepping onto the dohyo with a certain level of determination. The July tournament will be hot and difficult to manage one's physical condition, so it will be a tough road for Aonishiki, who is aiming for 10 wins.