Israel-born sumo hopeful in Japan faces age limit obstacle despite having skills

The Mainichi

13-07-2025

TOKYO -- After nearly 40 seconds of intense grappling in a sumo training bout, Yarden Yatkovski, 27, throws down a wrestler ranked in the makushita division, the third highest of the six divisions in professional sumo. Footage of this powerful display at Tokyo's Tatsunami stable shows him performing at a level rivaling professional wrestlers, or rikishi.
Having moved from Israel to Japan some 2 1/2 years ago, Yatkovski dedicates each day to training intensively. Yet, despite his commitment and visible skills, the door to becoming a professional sumo wrestler remains closed. What exactly is preventing his dream from becoming reality?
Yatkovski lives by words adopted from the creed of one sumo stable: "Watch with your eyes, listen with your ears, then act without fear of failure." Daily, he repeats this maxim as he trains diligently, practicing at Tatsunami stable in the mornings and building strength at a gym in the afternoons.
His fascination with sumo began early. At age 4, he watched satellite broadcasts with his grandfather, captivated by large rikishi clashing with strength and skill. Although he dreamed of becoming a sumo wrestler, Israel had no sumo dojos, prompting him instead to train in judo and wrestling.
At 18, he fulfilled his compulsory military service in Israel, during which he increased his food intake and studied sumo fundamentals such as "shiko" (stamping), "teppo" (pillar striking) and "suriashi" (shuffling footwork). He adapted his diet, gradually becoming accustomed to "chanko" stew which contains pork and shrimp -- ingredients not typically eaten in Jewish dietary culture.
After completing his mandatory military duty of two years and eight months, however, Yatkowski's initial attempt to move to Japan in March 2020 was disrupted by the global spread of COVID-19.
Subsequently, he traveled to Mongolia through a connection with an acquaintance and continued to build experience in wrestling. He finally arrived in Japan in October 2022, already 24.
But under current Japan Sumo Association (JSA) regulations, new recruits must join prior to turning 23. Although special exemptions allow those under 25 to join if they have outstanding results in sumo or another sport, Yatkovski's highest athletic achievement was winning a domestic judo event in Israel, insufficient for the exemption.
Still, he refused to give up. In 2023, a stable accepted him as a "trainee," letting him train and attend Japanese language school concurrently. He also reached out to the JSA via supporters in Japan, emphasizing that his age overrun resulted from circumstances beyond his control: mandatory military service followed by travel restrictions due to COVID-19. Thus far, however, the JSA has remained reluctant.
Further complicating matters, JSA rules limit each stable to one foreign-born wrestler. Earlier this year, a foreign recruit joined the stable where Yatkovski was practicing, forcing him to leave. Currently, he trains at Tatsunami stable, the home stable of Mongolian-born yokozuna Hoshoryu, where he reportedly holds his own even against wrestlers in the sandanme division, the fourth highest in sumo.
Despite his evident skill, prospects are bleak. One influential stablemaster told him frankly that many aspiring wrestlers have had to give up their dreams because of age restrictions, urging him to pursue other paths.
However, Yatkovski remains adamant, stating, "Sumo is my life itself. I don't want to live without sumo," hinting at the pain that would result from losing his dream due to factors outside his control.
Since April of this year, Yatkovski has been uploading videos of his training sessions to YouTube, including the clip showing him taking down a makushita wrestler. He says he wants to show his skills to many people.
In the 1990s, when no age limit existed, older recruits succeeded in entering sumo. One example is former komusubi Tomonohana, who joined at age 27. An online petition calling for the JSA to allow Yatkovski's entry has already gathered support from over 10,000 people.
Today, he continues to train while caring about his family in Israel, where war persists. He has not yet given up his dream of becoming a sumo wrestler.