Kintamayama 47,171 Posted March 21, 2003 Daizen (38), the fourth oldest rikishi and one of the three longest active Sumotori in Sumo has announced his retirement today, after coming up to Juuryou today and beating Juzan. He ends this basho with a 2-5 record, which means he would have had a significant drop in Makushita. http://www.nikkansports.com/ns/sports/sumo...30321-0034.html (Japanese) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amanogawa 79 Posted March 21, 2003 Right before Haru Basho there was a little TV program about Daizen. The show carried how people in Osaka ( his home prefecture ) liked him and cheered for him, speaking to him very naturally and friendlily when seeing him on the street, and he spoke them back just as if they were old friends. He smiled and said, "My father had wished, before he died, that I would be *enjoying* sumo now. He had known how I had enough of hardship and worries as achieving a rikishi career. So now I'm planning to enjoy doing my sumo for the coming basho, not to try my desperate best or anything" Now that I heard the news of his retirement, I'm only hoping he could have enjoyed sumo as his late father had wished him to. Otsukare sama deshita. m(_ _)m Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kaikitsune Makoto 210 Posted March 21, 2003 Farewell to exceptionally diligent rikishi who acted as a brilliant example to young rikishi showing such training desire and attitude that motivated younger rikishi to train harder and harder in order to emulate the veteran. His kinboshi against Musashimaru maybe 1.5 years ago was one of the highlights of his good career. I am sure he'll be GREAT oyakata! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fujisan 533 Posted March 22, 2003 Sayonara Daizen. Have a happy retirement! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
