Tarasenko, the New UK kid on the block

[Moti Dichne]

Nicholas Tarasenko (Minato beya), the third rikishi in history to be of British origin (including Hong Kong before its return to China in 1997), and who is scheduled to make his professional debut at the Nagoya Basho with the shikona Eisei, trained at his heya in Warabi City, Saitama Prefecture on the 8th. He took part in 28 bouts against his senior heyamates from  Sandanme and Jonidan, winning 13 of them. The 16-year-old, who came to Japan last June and began practicing sumo seriously as a trainee, still lacks power in his tachiai. He has been working on improving his pushing technique since joining the heya, but there were also times when he allowed his opponents to get a morozashi and was lifted out of the dohyo. On the other hand, he made use of his impressive physique of 187 cm and 126 kg winning by yorikiri, and also showcased powerful throws honed from his judo experience. However, he reflected, "People around me are telling me that throws are not good. I need to push forward." His Oyakata Minato says that his current ability is about mid or slightly above Jonidan. "Right now, I'm teaching him the basics like shiko. He's only 16. He'll learn sumo naturally," he explained, revealing his intentions and outlining his long-term vision of developing him into a large-scale rikishi. If he can obtain an entertainment visa, Eisei will make his debut in Maezumo at the Nagoya tournament. Mongolian wrestlers such as Khuselbaatar (Hakkaku) and Sosolv (Minatogawa) are also scheduled to debut, and he is excited about it. Eisei declared, "I want to make Makushita in two years and become a Sekitori by the time I'm 20."