Председателят на японската сумо асоциация Катоноуми подаде оставка, след като не можа да опази древния спорт от пороците на съвременното общество. Трима руски борци бяха уличени в употреба на марихуана, последните двама - при внезапен тест миналата седмица.
"Причиних неприятности на сумото и неговите фенове, така че трябва да се оттегля", смирено обяви Китаноуми, който е и собственик на школата, в която тренира единият от провинилите - Хакурозан (с рождено име Батраз Борадзов). Брат му Рохо (Сослан Борадзов) бе другият с положителна проба, а третият - Ваканохо (Сослан Гаглоев), бе арестуван още миналия месец по обвинение за притежание на марихуана. И тримата бяха низвергнати доживот от професионалното дохио.
Китаноуми, бивш йокозуна, прекратил кариерата си през 1985 г., срещаше вълни от недоволство, след като през последните години сумото със сблъска с инциденти, непривични за нравите и културата в Япония. Миналата година собственик на школа бе арестуван по подозрение, че е отговорен за смъртта на свой ученик. А йокозуна Асашорю бе изловен в измама, докато играеше футбол, макар уж да лекуваше контузия.
OZUMO: Kotooshu has short summer to do big homework
Kenjiro Kuroda / Ozumo
Ozeki Kotooshu's golden summer came to an abrupt halt in Nagoya. After his astonishing triumph at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, he was poised to give the two yokozuna a run for their money--and possibly be promoted to the sport's highest rank.
But like the fireworks at a summer festival, Kotooshu started off with a blaze of color, then faded into nothingness.
The Yokozuna Deliberation Council's conditions for promotion to yokozuna include winning two straight tournaments or an equivalent record. However, at the front of council members' mind was the fact that Kotooshu had only chalked up an average of seven wins per tournament in his previous six outings (including his 14-1 title win). Even his supporters' expectations were tempered with a healthy dose of reality that their man was up against the odds.
Perhaps the big Bulgarian felt the same way.
At a press conference after the rankings for the July basho were announced on June 30, Kotooshu became visibly nervous at any question that mentioned his possible promotion. His stablemaster, Sadogatake, had to help him out at one point.
Leading up to the basho, Kotooshu had added a draining training regime of squats to the stomping exercises that had strengthened his lower body and powered him to the yusho in May. He trained against yokozuna Hakuho and Asashoryu. Everything seemed to be in place for consecutive Emperor's Cups.
Kotooshu's opponent on Day 1 was Aminishiki, a rikishi who had come out on top in their five previous meetings (including one by default) and halted the ozeki's 12-bout winning streak at the Summer basho. With a win the only acceptable option, the pressure became too much. The ozeki wilted.
After getting down at the crouch, Kotooshu put his hands down first--and didn't move a muscle. When Aminishiki exploded out of the blocks, Kotooshu was unable to repel his throat attack and was quickly sent over the bales in a virtual replay of his defeat two months earlier.
His limp performance impressed nobody.
"This is what happens when you don't do a normal tachiai," Japan Sumo Association chairman Kitanoumi harrumphed. Even Sadogatake, who rarely has a harsh word to say, dished out a brickbat: "What on earth were you doing getting down into your crouch so early? You were thinking too much."
A loss on the first day did not necessarily mean his promotion was a lost cause. Mienoumi and Chiyonofuji, among others, had overcome first-day defeats to pick up 14 straight wins and earn promotion to yokozuna. After his Day 1 loss, Kotooshu was far from despondent about his hopes, saying: "I'll do my best tomorrow. I'll change my mood."
However, his flickering hopes were extinguished on Day 3, when 1.69-meter pocket rocket Toyonoshima got the better of him for the fourth bout in a row.
Things looked ominous for Kotooshu even before he stepped onto the dohyo. Usually, the lower-ranked wrestler in the bout will head down the walkway to ringside first. However, Kotooshu's nerves got the better of him, and he forgot to check whether Toyonoshima had already started his march to the dohyo, and went out first.
It was all downhill from there.
A lack of concentration at the tachiai saw Kotooshu give up a two-handed belt grip. Although Kotooshu tried to push forward, Toyonoshima deftly stepped aside and heaved the ozeki down with a beltless arm throw. Kotooshu's dream of promotion vanished the moment he hit the dirt.
"It's unavoidable that he will be looked at with a critical eye after two losses in three days," Kitanoumi said. "It's important for him to start building for the next tournament."
Even Asashoryu chipped in. "He lost four times to the same opponent. As someone at the top, that's pathetic," the yokozuna said.
Predictably, once the pressure came off, Kotooshu recaptured his May form. A dominant win over Kisenosato on Day 6 was a stop on the way to wrapping up majority wins on Day 11 against Miyabiyama.
"The problem was that I was 1-2 after three days," Kotooshu later lamented. "I wish I had been able to do my own sumo a bit earlier in the basho. I just wanted to win so much, but I froze."
Performing under the spotlight at this basho will have been a valuable experience for Kotooshu, but he has not been able to stamp out the perception that some opponents have got his number.
If he wants to change that, the ozeki will certainly have to do his homework over the summer.
(From August 2008 issue)
(Aug. 7, 2008)
