
Sumo row sees legendary wrestler quit Japan association to launch world project
Hakuho, the Mongolian-born former grand champion widely regarded as sumo wrestling's greatest competitor, has resigned from the Japan Sumo Association following a dispute with the sport's governing body.
The sanction stemmed from allegations that Hakuho failed to adequately supervise a wrestler within his training stable.
Hakuho's stable was closed a year ago. Japanese media reports say the wrestler in question engaged in physical violence. But closing a stable, instead of just punishing an individual wrestler, was unusual.
He did not directly criticize the professional Japan Sumo Association, but he said wrestlers who had trained under him were treated unfairly.
Hakuho, who was granted Japanese citizenship, said he had been in talks with the association but recently decided to quit because there was no hope of reopening his stable.
'After 25 years of loving sumo and being loved by sumo, I want to advance toward a new dream,' Hakuho told reporters Monday at a Tokyo hotel.
Hakuho said he wants to create a body to govern sumo outside Japan — the 'world sumo project.'
'When I think of my situation, I think it's best to contribute to sumo from the outside,' he said, wearing a dark suit and referring to the Japan Sumo Association.
Appearing with a lawyer and other officials he had tapped for his team, Hakuho said they were getting corporate sponsors to back sumo grand slams, which draw amateur sumo wrestlers from around the world, including children and women.
Hakuho said he was friends with Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda, who has expressed interest in supporting his efforts. Toyota already supports various amateur and professional sports activities.
Many regard the Mongolia-born Hakuko as the greatest champion in the sport's history and he holds many of its records.
Hahuko's late-father, who went by the given name of Monkhbat, was an Olympic silver medalist for Mongolia in 1968. He also competed in at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Sumo encompasses very strict rules and traditions that have prompted other top wrestlers to pursue careers outside the sport.
Hahuko retired from active wrestling in 2021.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Katie Boulter survives first-round battle at Queen's encouraged by fiance Alex de Minaur after second-set scare against qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic
Katie Boulter survived a second-set scare against qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic to book her spot in the second-round at Queen's with her 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-4 win on Tuesday afternoon. The Briton was watched by her fiance, world number 10 Alex de Minaur, who was on hand to offer words of encouragement for the player from the stands. Boulter had spoken on Sunday of her delight about finally playing at The Queen's Club after years spent watching De Minaur, but her time at the historic venue almost came to a premature end. Boulter took her time getting used to the conditions in west London, where a wind whipped through through the stands but failed to shift a stubborn grey cloud overhead until deep into the tiebreak, and Tomljanovic was there to capitalise on early shakiness. But Boulter's early break in the first set was avenged quickly by the Briton's immediate break-back, the players sizing each other up before a tug-of-war at 3-3. The match's longest game on Boulter's serve almost saw the Briton broken, and as Tomljanovic's level climbed, there was a feeling if she could overturn the home favourite here, she might have waltzed the set. But instead, Boulter clung onto momentum and eventually held before a lightning break of the Tomljanovic serve to love for 5-3. Tomljanovic came through qualifying to reach Tuesday match, but the Australian, long absent from the top 40 in the game, has some recent grass pedigree as one of the finalists last year at Birmingham. Although over-confident in her deep hitting at times, the 32-year-old had no interest in making life easy for Boulter. Boulter however had a growing crowd behind her, as the stands filled up in time with the emergence of the afternoon sun. Their voices were needed when Boulter sent an under-confidence second serve, still troubled by the wind and seldom lethal on Tuesday afternoon, into the net, and again when Tomljanovic forced the tiebreak after outfoxing Boulter with the softest of dropshots. The Briton had one of those in her arsenal too; drawing gasps from the stands as she floated Tomljanvoic's mid-court volley centimetres off the court and nearly onto the other side of the net to put her ahead in the tiebreak. Things didn't look so dainty in the second set, with Boulter still easily frustrated by her opponent despite her first-set cushion. The Briton was broken with little fuss after a testing opening hold, prompting increasingly desperate support around the Andy Murray Arena as Tomljanovic's lead stretched to four games. Looking lost on serve and overpowered returning, Boulter could only watch wide-eyed as Tomljanovic's ace flashed past her to see her claim the second set having earned a solitary game. The speed of Boulter's collapse was double-quick too, with Tomljanovic on top after just over 30 minutes. Boulter's serve refused to stick: when she finally did dish up something unreturnable her opponent's way, her frustration told with an exasperated 'thank you' spoken with her relief. But after being broken in the early stages of the third, Boulter's fight returned, and after gritting her teeth and claiming the break-back from 40-15 down, the Briton unleashed a fearsome hold to love, capped with a roar of delight. Both Boulter and the crowd were in full voice now, and the player, as if remembering who and where she was, began to play to the gallery.


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Liverpool to play Athletic Bilbao in double-header
Liverpool have confirmed the final fixtures of their pre-season programme with a double-header against Athletic back-to-back matches will take place at Anfield on Monday, 4 August at 17:00 and 20:00 will be the final friendlies Liverpool play before getting the new season under way with the Community Shield match against Crystal Palace at Wembley the following games against Athletic round off a summer schedule that includes a pre-season tour of Asia where the Reds will take on AC Milan in Hong Kong on 26 July before a meeting with J1 League club Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan on 30 Slot's side's first pre-season game is against Preston North End at Deepdale on 13 July.


The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Nick Kyrgios ‘axed from BBC's Wimbledon coverage' after appointment of tennis bad boy caused uproar
NICK KYRGIOS has been axed from the BBC's coverage of Wimbledon for 2025, according to reports. It comes after his appointment to the broadcaster's team for the event last year sparked uproar.