New recruits - Kyushu 2025.

[Moti Dichne]

Three new recruits, including Mongolian Tuvaadorj Bukhchuluun who is eligible for Makushita tsukedashi status. The other two:  Ryuto Takeda and Hiromasa Seki 

Takeda was 14 minutes late for the new recruits examinations (shindeshi kensa). However, thanks to the kindness of the three Oyakata present at the examination—head of the shinpan department and director, Takadagawa Oyakata , vice director, Fujishima Oyakata, and Kumegawa Oyakata—they waited for his arrival, and all three met the minimum physical requirements of at least 167 cm in height and 67 kg in weight. At 1:14 PM, Takeda, with his plump frame at 170 cm and 158 kg, jogged to the examination venue. His voice trembled as he apologized, seeing the three senior shinpan, some of the most intimidating faces among the Oyakata. Even so, Fujishima Oyakata gently told him, "There's no need to panic. Your blood pressure will rise too." In fact, Takeda had been told that the examination would begin at 2:00 p.m.

In the sumo world, there's an unspoken rule known as "sumo time," symbolizing a hierarchical society. In an effort to arrive on time before their seniors, there's a tendency to arrive earlier than scheduled, resulting in everything starting earlier than scheduled. In fact, it's customary for the shindeshi kensa to begin once all the Oyakata present have arrived. While the "1:00 PM" start hour is official, it's not uncommon for the start to be more than 30 minutes earlier. However, a delay in the start of an examination due to a new entrant's lateness is almost unheard of. When Takeda hadn't shown up by 12:20 PM, a Sumo Association official called Nakamura beya. Takeda was still eating at his heya's lodgings in Saga Prefecture. He rushed over from there. "I'm naturally a very nervous person, but this made me even more nervous," Takeda recalled. Until the early Heisei period, when there were a lot of new entrants, he might have been disqualified and would have had to retake the exam the following tournament. However, it could also be seen as a lenient measure, especially as heya are currently struggling to recruit new recruits. Takeda, a native of Saiki City, Oita, is currently attending Oita Toyonan High School, and took the test this tournament at the request of his Oyakata, former sekiwake Yoshikaze, who is from the same hometown, and his own desire to make his debut at the Kyushu basho. Takeda said, "I'm really glad I wasn't disqualified. My ideal is Nakamura. I admire him being able to fight even though he was small," and finished with a smile of relief. Pending the results of the internal organs examination, the successful candidates will be announced on the first day of the Kyushu tournament.