2012 Australian National Sumo Championships

[Sumorina 5]

The competition held on Sunday July 8th was an exciting one for both competitors and audience, with over 30 athletes entering the ring.

The Junior and Women's matches were sadly few, but there was plenty of action.

Visiting competitors from New Zealand were trying to gain wins here in order to secure a place on the Oceania team to the World Games and Combat Games next year, and a visiting Japanese collegiate champion, Masakatsu Ishiura, also took part.

Masa is in Australia to study English and to help the Australian Sumo Federation with coaching and training. The son of Tottori Johoku High School's sumo coach, he has been doing sumo since he was 3 and represented Japan on the Junior team at the World Sumo Championships in 2008, taking the lightweight gold. After successfully continuing sumo at high school he went to Nihon University where he was part of the regular sumo team and team vice-captain.

At this competition Masa won the Men's Lightweight and also took out the Open, displaying great skill and stamina.

Middleweight was won by Tevita Fahina, a sumo veteran who came back to active competition last year and has been unbeaten in the middleweight since. John Traill, or Johnofuji as we better know him, lost to Tevita in this division, but turned the tables on him in the Open and dumped Tevita, taking third place for himself behind Masa and visiting New Zealand heavyweight, James Mihaere.

The men's Heavyweight had 10 competitors and this strong field was dominated by Derek Boyer, 15 times undefeated Australia's Strongest Man. 200kg Jason Mareko acquitted himself well in his first competition taking third.

The Open was contested by a field of 15, Derek Boyer choosing to step aside after winning the heavyweight and allow someone else a chance at gold. Masa defeated Victoria's Chiko Pemberton and NSW's Jason Mareko to take on New Zealand's James Mihaere in the final, finishing with a crowd pleasing decisive win.

As Derek had not had been in the Open and had not had a chance to try his strength against Masa's skill, he challenged Masa to an exhibition match, which Masa won, leading to us give him the nickname Lightening, as he was faster than Thunder - Derek's name when he won on TV's Gladiators. With Derek at 139 kg and an unblemished record, his bout with 34kg Masa was a real crowd pleaser and reinforced our slogan: SUMO nobody too light, nobody too heavy.

Many thanks to Masa for taking part in this competition. The athletes were glad to have the chance to pit themselves against such a skilled opponent and learned good lessons from watching, challenging and losing to him and the audience was thrilled to see such great sumo action.

4 teams also competed with victory going to Queensland. Results below.

2012 Australian National Sumo Championships

8th July Broadbeach PCYC Gold Coast

Under 14 Combined Challenge 1st Brandon Thornton, 2nd Kyle Thornton, 3rd Jessica Lawand

Junior Heavyweight Women 1st Lauren Ivory QLD

Middleweight Women 1st Emily Knauth QLD

Women’s Open 1st Emily Knauth QLD, 2nd Lauren Ivory QLD

Junior Men 1st Indiana Easthope Queensland, 2nd Brandon Venter QLD

Lightweight Men 1st Masakatsu Ishiura Japan, 2nd Guy Belgrove QLD, 3rd Glenn Sullivan New Zealand

Middleweight Men 1st Tevita Fahina NSW, 2nd John Traill NSW, 3rd Peter Townsend QLD

Heavyweight Men 1st Derek Boyer QLD, 2nd Tevita Fahina NSW, 3rd Jason Mareko NSW

Men’s Open 1st Masakatsu Ishiura Japan, 2nd James Mihaere New Zealand, 3rd John Traill NSW

Men’s Team 1st Queensland, 2nd New South Wales, 3rd New Zealand

[Johnofuji 209]

Here are the Heavyweight Division bouts
and here is Thunder versus Lightning

.(my first YouTube upload)

I'm sure Katrina was exhausted from organising and hosting another extremely successful event and it is a mere typo otherwise "nobody too light" should mean nobody TOO light should be allowed to fight .The weight difference between Masa and Derek was a mere 55kgs of muscle and not 105kgs. Thanks again Katrina.

With Derek at 139 kg and an unblemished record, his bout with 34kg Masa was a real crowd pleaser and reinforced our slogan: SUMO nobody too light, nobody too heavy.

[Sumorina 5]

Thanks, Johnofuji for spotting my typing error. Yes, Masakatsu Ishiura's weight is 83 kg