Hakiai Wins All Japan College Championship Options

[Jonosuke]

Fourth year student at Kinki University, Akifumi Hakiai beat third year Nihon University student, Kenichi Sakaizawa with a sharp low tachiai attack and "hazu-oshi" to win his first Yusho at the All Japan College Sumo Championship held on November 6 at the Kokugikan to earn the title of College Yokuzuna this year.

Another Kinki University student Yoshiyuki Kanbayashi (Makushita West 8, Hakkaku Beya) won last year. This is the seventh time a Kinki student won the championship.

Haikai already has a job firmed up after his graduation from the University but now that he has a chance to start from the Makushita 15 ranking, he appears to be leaning towards joining Ozumo.

"I will give it a serious consideration (on turning pro). I guess I just needed a little bit of push," Haikiai said.

More details to follow.

[Sasanishiki]

Nihon Daigaku has now gone 5 years without winning the individual competition at this tournament (this comes after a run of five consecutive individual yusho before that time). However, the top 16 competition was swarming with Nihon Daigaku athletes (I counted about 7?), which shows that they are as solid as ever.

Expect a strong showing tomorrow in the A class teams tournament. Nihon Dai hasn't won since 2001 and will be trying to stop Kinki Daigaku from repeating last year's victory.

[Jonosuke]

Individual Final Results:

First Round:

MORI (Nichi-dai) over Ikehara (Asahi) -Tsukidashi
Narikawa (Senshu) over Akasaka (Takushoku) - Oshidashi
TANAKA (Tokyo Agricultural) over Terada (Nippon Taiiku) - Tsukitaoshi
Maeda (Nichi-dai) over Goto (Senshu) - Oshidashi
SHIMODA (Nichi-Dai) over Matsutani (Komazawa) - Oshidashi
HAKIAI (Kinki) over Ichikawa (Takushoku) - Oshidashi
Takamura (Toyo) over Ooyama (Takushoku) - Oshidashi
KIMURA (Tokyo Agricultural) over NAKANISHI - (Senshu) - Yorikiri
YOSHIDA (Nichi-dai) over Teramoto (Takushoku) - Hikiotoshi
Hayano (Tokoy Agricultural) over Takada (Komazawa) - Shitate Dashinage
ICHIHARA (Nichidai) over Mouri (Daito-dai) - Uwate-nage
Masuda (Kinki) over Hasegawa (Meiji) - Yorikiri
SAKAIZAWA (Nichidai) over Mori (Komazawa) - Yoritaoshi
Miki (Ritsumeikan) over Nishi (Kita Kyushu Joho) - Oshidashi
Okutani (Kinki) over Nakamura (Nihon Taiiku) - Yorikiri
Murai (Chuo) over Morishita (Tokyo Agricultural) - Oshidashi

Second Round:
MORI over Narikawa - Oshidashi
TANAKA over Maeda - Tsukiotoshi
HAKIAI over SHIMODA - Shitatenage
KIMURA over Takamura - Tsukidashi
YOSHIDA over Hayano - Tsukiotoshi
ICHIHARA over Masuda - Hatakikomi
SAKIAZAWA over Miki - Tsukitaoshi
Murai over Okutani - Sukuinage

Quarter Final:
MORI over TANAKA - Oshidashi
HAKIAI over KIMURA - Tsukidashi
YOSHIDA over ICHIHARA - Oshidashi
SAKAIZAWA over Murai - Tsukiotoshi

Semi Final:
HAKIAI over MORI - Okuridashi
SAKAIZAWA over YOSHIDA - Tsukitaoshi

Final:
HAKIAI over SAKAIZAWA - Oshidashi

Group Class C:
Kanazawa Gakuin University 4 - 1 Nagoya University

Pre-tournament favorites in capitals.

This post has been edited by Jonosuke: Nov 6, 2004, 21:36

[Jonosuke]

Hakiai has never previously won a national level tournament. At this October's All Japan College Individual Weight Class Tournament, he had his career high finish at the second.

He pushed second year Nichi-dai student Yamamoto to the dohyo edge but was thrown out. "I was really aiming for the Yusho so I really couldn't stand the loss. In my final year at high shool, I also ended up in the second place at the Inter-High (School) Sumo Championship. "I just don't seem to win the big ones," Hakiai said.

In Western Japan, currently he is unrivalled as he won the Western Japan College Championship as well as his weight class "Yusho". His is a traditional style sumo, moving stragiht onto his opponents and win by oshi.

He is not big (176 cm tall and 138 kg). "I can only go with 'oshi-zumo'. Once I get into a 'yotsu', I more or less go into a 'give-up' mode," Hakiai admits. "He gained much more stability as he acquired more power moving forward," his manager Ito said.

At the last year's All Japan, Kinki University Sumo Club won both the individual and group categories and this year he inherited the legacy as the captain. "I am a type who thinks there is always a way out. I believe I can control the pressure well," Hakiai said.

Unlike his aggressive "Oshi or no way" sumo style, his hobby is gentler as he likes to paint and draw Manga. Contrasting his action oriented sumo with a quieter pursuit of drawing, he feels he can focus more once he steps onto the dohyo. He felt he was well prepared for the championship. "Of course you can't tell until the bouts start, but I do have a confidence in myself," Hakiai said before the tournament began.

His turning point in the championship came in the Second Round of Final when he faced Keisho Shimoda who just won the World Championship Open Class at Riesa. Shimoda got him into a "hidari-yotsu" position and stopped his move. "Normally I'd
would have thought, O.K. I am done for but this time I was more patient," Hakiaki said describing the bout. When Shimoda tried to finish him off by stepping forward, Hakiai took advantage of Shimoda's move and won by shitatenage.

From then on, he just went back to his power "Tsukioshi" move and won against his nemesis Mori who had 2-2 career record against him. He faced Sakaizawa who was 16 cm taller and 32 kg heavier, and aggresively went on offensive without stopping and not giving him any opportunity to respond back.

Though he already arranged to get a job next year after the graduation, he has heard from his seniors in the past regretting their decision on not going for Ozumo.
"I heard from Kanbayashi san (one year his senior, joined Ozumo earlier) saying it's an extremely tough world but well worth the challenge. I also remember when I was in an elementary school writing, "I want to become a rikishi", so many times in a workbook," Hakiai said.

Now with Makushita Tsukedashi qualification, he can see himself competing under the Kokugikan roof. "I've been compared favorably with Dejima-zeki in both sumo style and physical characteristics," added Hakiai likely thinking already of his future in Ozumo.

+++++++

Akifumi Hakiai
--------------
176 cm tall (self confessed 172 cm), 138 kg
Takeoka Koryu High School, Toyama Prefecture, graduated in 2001.
Fourth Year Kinki University student.

From Takeoka Koryu,
-Jonidan West 99 Taketoba, Miyagino Beya (real name: Takuto Arisawa), graduated 2001.
-Jonidan West 106 Morishita, Oguruma Beya (real name: Noritkatsu Morishita), graduated 2003,

From Kinki,
- Juryo West 6 Asanowaka, Takasago Beya (real name : Takehiko Adachi), graduated 1992.
- Makushita East 9 Furuichi, Ounomatsu Beya (real name: Sadahide Furuichi), graduated 1998.
- Makushita West 34 Asahimaru, Takasago beya (real name: Masato Miyoshi), graduated 2002, Makushita Tsukedashi.
- Makushita West 8 Kanbayashi, Hakkaku Beya (real name: Yoshiyuki Kanbayashi), graduated 2004, Makushita Tsukedashi.
- Jonidan West 6 Sugita, Kitanoumi Beya (real name: Yoshiaki Sugita), graduated 2004.

[Jonosuke]

Kenji Nakanishi of Senshu University was one of the favorites to win the individual class along with the eventual winner Hakiai of Kinki University and Shimoda of Nihon University. Nakanishi already made it clear that he would be joining Ozumo after his graduation next year but there is only one more hope left of earning a Makushita Tsukedashi ranking after getting beaten in the first round of Final at the All Japan Individual Class Championship yesterday.

For fourth year students, there is only one more chance to get Makushita Tsukedashi ranking, All Japan Sumo Championship in December.

Nakanishi lost out to Kimura, third year student from Tokyo Agricultural University, in the round one of the Final. Nakanishi got his favorite right in from tachiai but once
Kimura got migi-uwate, he could not do anything anymore and was pushed out. "I could do nothing against his strong shitate. My goal now is to speed up my attack. Somehow overcoming my shortcomings, I want to get the title at the next
championship," Nakanishi said.


He is 186 cm tall and weighs in at 160 kg. He displays power "migi-yotsu" zumo. In September Nakanishi won East Japan College Sumo Tournament Open Class and in October at the All Japan College Individual Weight Class Tournament he placed third. He'd prefer to join Ozumo with Makushita Tsukedashi ranking. "I am not getting overly conscious of it but I'd certainly not want to miss the opportunity," Nakanishi said.

He was born in Katsushika ward in Tokyo. He started taking lessons at a sumo dojo while he was in Grade 4. He was placed in Best 8 at All Japan Middle School Sumo
Championship. Then while at Meguro Gakuen High School, he was in Best 16 at All Japan High School Championships.

As a third child in the family, he was rather an easy going kid but that has changed March last year when his mother passed away at the age of 52 years old.

"Kenji, you have such a gentle nature that you are not suited to Ozumo so don't join," his mother said before she passed away. "I took it to be a life and death encouragement, more than ever I was inspired to work harder," Nakanishi said. Since then he also gained 30 kg.

"I am simply amazed by his transformation. He still gets too fussy grabbing the mawashi. He should use his uwate more and just try to overwhelm his opponents," says his sumo club manager, Oono.

Ozeki Musoyama is from the same club and three years his senior is Juryo East 11 Katayama of Ounomatsu Beya.

"Since we were living together at the same dorm, Katayama san now looks much much bigger. I hope to be able to catch up to him very soon," Nakanishi said.

This post has been edited by Jonosuke: Nov 7, 2004, 01:50

[Jonosuke]

Preview: All Japan College Sumo Championship - Group
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Manager Kazuo Yasui of Tokyo Agricultural University Sumo Club comments this year's Nihon University members to be the most solid in the recent memory.

It is definitely the team to beat in the group tournament to be held on November 7 but more likely all the others are competing for the second best - this group includes Nippon Taiiku Unversity, Daito Bunka University and Kinki University.

This year's Nichi-dai Sumo Club members include:

- Takayuki Ichihara (second year) 182 cm 157 kg
World Sumo Championship Heavyweight Class winner
Former High School Yokozuna

- Keisho Shimoda (third year) 175 cm, 125 kg
All Japan Sumo Weight Class Tournament 135 kg class winner
All Japan Sumo Championship 2002 (as a first year student)second place finish
World Sumo Championship this year Open class winner

- Katsuo Yoshida (third year)
World Sumo Championship Middleweight winner

- Kenichi Sakaizawa (third year) 188 cm 170 kg
All Japan College Sumo Championship this year Individual class second place finish

This post has been edited by Jonosuke: Nov 7, 2004, 02:01

[Jonosuke]

Here are the Group Results :

Nihon University Sumo Club ("Nichi-Dai") won their 23rd Yusho in Group category as they defeated Tokyo Agricultural University ("Tono-Dai") 4-1 in the final. The last year's winner Kinki Unversity and up-and-coming Toyo University ("Toyo-Dai") placed third.

They have not reached the top in the last two years as they rebuilt their sumo club.
The five members of this year's team are second or third year students so they should be a formidable presence for at least the next two years in the college scene.

"It feels like quite a while since we've had the Yusho. Obviously we will be aiming for it again next year," Tanaka, their manager said.

Semi-Final:
Nichi-Dai 4 - 1 Toyo-Dai
Tono-Dai 3 - 2 Kinki

Final:
Nichi-dai 4 - 1 Tono-dai

O Mori - Kimura X Tsukidashi
X Yoshida - Tanaka O Yorikiri
O Shimoda - Onodera X Tsukiotoshi
O Ichihara - Hayano X Okuridashi
O Sakaizawa - Morishita X Okuritaoshi

[Sasanishiki]

What Jonosuke's admirable information does not tell you all, however, is that Kinki Daigaku (last year's winner) had to battle through the B Class teams' tournament this morning before the A Class tournament. That's quite a lot of sumo.

As far as I heard, to even out the numbers from each region, Kinki was dropped to B Class because Doshisha had been promoted for some reason (probably based on the results of a grading tournament or something). This meant that Kinki needed to make the B Class semifinals, as the top four from each division slot into the next one up automatically for the next level up (so 4 from C Class had competed in B Class, and likewise 4 from B Class competed in the A Class).

After getting through that (and winning), they then had three matches in the gradin before making the final 8. They won the first round of that and then lost the semi to gain 3rd. However, they must have been pretty tired by that time.

[Azumashida]

Isn't the huge Yamamoto Ryuichi also from Nichi-dai? Does anybody know how come he was not taking part?

Edit: and, in addition, was the "All Japan College Sumo Championship" that he won last month in Osaka (cf. http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4068) less important than this one? In other words, is he a college yokozuna as well? Have to say I'm a bit confused, thanks in advance for clarifications...

This post has been edited by Azumaryu: Nov 7, 2004, 15:17

[Asashosakari]

Adding to Azumaryu's post, would it perhaps be possible to get a comprehensive list of all those annual amateur tournaments at the college and if possible also high school level? (Maybe a new thread would be best for that.) It's always been somewhat difficult to follow along, in that different people use different translations for the tournament names, so I'm not even fully sure which 4 tournaments are the ones that qualify for Makushita tsukedashi ranking, and how all the other tournaments fit into the scheme of things...

This post has been edited by Asashosakari: Nov 7, 2004, 19:29

[Sasanishiki]

Yamamoto was an alternate for the Nichi-Dai team and did not compete in the individual competition. He is a second year but we can't really go on age or hierarchy given the make up of the 5 member team that competed. It had two second year and three third year students, and the reserves were Yamamoto and two 4th year students. In addition there was another 4th year who competed in the individual competition only without being a reserve for the team.

Perhaps they just went with those who are in form, or perhaps they thought Yamamoto was too heavy and not agile enough for the teams' competition, where he would meet strong and heavy but more mobile competitors? However, you think they would have let him loose in the individual competition.

Maybe he already has tsukedashi qualification from the Osaka tournament and they decided to give everyone else a shot at it?

[Sasanishiki]

Sorry, didn't answer the second part of that post...

The tournament in Osaka was the national individual weight categories tournament. So, competitors were split up according to weight ranges of about 10 kilograms (smaller and more comprehensive than the weight ranges used in international competition). In this tournament, the final 8 from the East Japan weight class tournament are combined with the final 8 from the West to slug it out in a knockout tournament.

It means you have to have done well in your regional qualifier and then win 4 matches in the All Japan tournament. There is no teams tournament at this meet and it is held over one day.

The tournament just concluded was the All Japan University tournament and involved a teams competition and an open weight free-for-all individual competition. The individual comp is on the first day and usually requires each competitor to win 2 or 3 bouts to make the final 32, and therefore another 5 matches to then be crowned champion.

I would say that due to the number of matches in one day, and the fact that it involves all competitors, means that this one is slightly more prestigious. NHK covered the final stages of the individual competition but did not do so for Osaka's tournament. That probably also gives another good indication.

[Sasanishiki]

As for the list, I can work on that if you like. I'll be leaving Japan and heading home this evening so that means I won't get around to it for another couple of days...

[Azumashida]

Thanks for the clarifications, much appreciated. (Sign of approval)

As for Yamamoto not competing, it could be that, due to his great weight, he doesn't have as much stamina as the others and couldn't be competitive over so many bouts on just one day...? Just a guess, of course...

[Jonosuke]

Adding to Azumaryu's post, would it perhaps be possible to get a comprehensive list of all those annual amateur tournaments at the college and if possible also high school level? (Maybe a new thread would be best for that.) It's always been somewhat difficult to follow along, in that different people use different translations for the tournament names, so I'm not even fully sure which 4 tournaments are the ones that qualify for Makushita tsukedashi ranking, and how all the other tournaments fit into the scheme of things...

I posted this year's High School results (up to now) previously and you can check it
Here

As for Makushita Tsukedashi Qualification, I will open up another thread.

[Jonosuke]

Additional Group update:

Nichi-Dai lost the title of "Gakusei Yokozuna" (College Yokozuna) yesterday while placing three members in the final. Today they erased the humiliation by convincingly taking the All Japan College Championship Group title.

Nichi-dai replaced one member from the last year's team. Manager Tanaka put Mori to spearhead the team. Tanaka says Mori, who crawled up to become a regular, "energizes the team". Mori won the three Final round matches as well as all the preliminary rounds by tsuki-oshi.

Mori replaced another regular (Yamamoto) who won a national level title in October. "I felt a pressure but I remember about the people who cared for me and those I replaced, then I felt better and relaxed," Mori said.

"I've experienced so many times the whole team crumbled when the lead guy lost out. Mori was the one I expected the most of today and he did a great job for us," Tanaka said. This year's World Championship winners Shimoda and Ichihara followed Mori by winning all their six bouts. The title was decided before Team Captain Sakaizawa faced his bout.

In the last ten years, there were only two "High School Yokozuna" joining Nichi-Dai. There are some like Tochiazuma who opted out to join Ozumo rather than continuing the study. Competitions to land a promising student is fierce among leading schools. "The key is to get a kid next to the top and develop him into a contender," Tanaka explains how he is buiding a strong team consistently.

Last fall they renovated their training room. They built two dohyos and they brought in training equipments in the basement. "Unlike before, we can keep them in shape now even when they get injured," said Coach Tsushima.

-------

Kinki University lost to Tokyo Agricultural University in the semi-final and lost the chance to repeat the last year's "Yusho". Crowned "College Yokozuna" the previous day, Hakiai lost his bout when they were leading 2 to 1. In the following bout, their captain also lost his bout. Hakiai also lost two straight in the A Class Preliminary.

"Our goal was to repeat the championship so I am not satisfied at all. Sumo is such a difficult competition," Hakiai said. "We figured how we'd do in the Group was pretty much up to Hakiai so we were obviously really disappointed," Kinki's manager Ito said.

----------

Here the A Class Preliminary round results:

1. Nichi-Dai 3 wins 14 points
2. Tokyo Agricultural 3 wins 13 points
3. Toyo University 3 wins 11 points
3. Kinki University 3 wins 11 points
5. Chuo University 3 wins 10 points
6. Komazawa Univesity 2 wins 12 points
7. Daitodai University 2 wins 10 points
8. Tokai Gakuen University 2 wins 7 points
9. Takushoku University 1 win 7 points
10. Nippon Taiiku University 1 win 6 points
11. Doshisha University 1 win 5 points
12. Senshu University 0 win 4 points
13. Waseda University 0 win 3 points
13. Asashi University 0 win 3 points
13. Kyushu Joho University 0 win 3 points
16. Meiji University 0 win 1 point

Next year's A class Schools: East 9 schools, West 3 Schools.

B Class Results:
----------------
Semi-Final:
Tokai Gakuen 3 - 2 Asashi
Kinki 4 - 1 Kyushu Joho

Final:
Kinki 4 - 1 Tokai Gakuen

(picture: Nichi-Dai Sumo Club Captain Hirayama gets tossed in the air after their Group victory.)

This post has been edited by Jonosuke: Nov 8, 2004, 04:17

[archie]

I am very interested in learning more about college Sumo. I work at a new network in the US, College Sports Television (www.cstv.com). Are college Sumo events on TV in Japan? If so, which network? Are there any resources you recommend for learning more about college Sumo? I think it's a great sport and would like to share it with our audience here in the states, so any help is greatly appreciated.

[Jonosuke]

I am very interested in learning more about college Sumo. I work at a new network in the US, College Sports Television (www.cstv.com). Are college Sumo events on TV in Japan? If so, which network? Are there any resources you recommend for learning more about college Sumo? I think it's a great sport and would like to share it with our audience here in the states, so any help is greatly appreciated.

Several major University/College Sumo Tournaments are broadcast live in Japan by NHK, generally on NHK Educational (Kyoiku) TV. There are some Japanese web sites that have some college information. Katrina Watts who occasionally does NHK's regular Ozumo broadcast knows a great deal about the college sumo scene in Japan.

[Sasanishiki]

With regard to the broadcasting, the individual competition of the All Japan College Championship was shown live for a couple of hours on NHK (educational, I think)