Amateur Sumo gets IOC recognition again

[Sasanishiki 57]

I have had this passed on to me and thought I would post it for the amasumo enthusiasts. It is from the International Sumo Federation. Not sent directly to me, but as I think there is not sensitive information in here there should be no problem posting it.

"Re: IOC two-year Provisional Recognition

I have the great pleasure in writing to inform you that the International Olympic Committee has given IFS two-year provisional recognition.

The IOC has 35 Olympic sports (28 Winter and 7 Summer), which can take part in the Olympics. IOC also recognizes another 28 Sports Federations, who may, in the future, be able to participate in the Olympics. There is an Association for Recognised Sports Federations, which is known as ARISF. IFS became a provisionally recognized member of this Association in 1998. However, due to a change in criteria conditions in 2002, IFS was no longer recognized as a member of ARISF. From September 2003 we began the process of sending information to IOC about IFS and the National Sumo Federations. IOC has now contacted us to say our application was successful.

Therefore IFS is now:

Provisionally recognized in ARISF

Full member of GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations)

Full member of IWGA (International World Games Association)

This is an important step for Sumo as, if we are not part of ARISF, we cannot hope to attain our dream of making Sumo an Olympic Sport. We recommend you to become a Member of your country

[Yasashiyama 0]

(Pulling hair...) Thanks for the good news! I hope the U.S. Sumo Association helps to represent us. (Blowing up furiously...) (Tears forming...)

[Mark Buckton 1]

complete dittos - and letting all those pros into football / baseball etc - huh?

Defeats the object.

On sumo as on Olympic sport - would make me watch as I never bother with the Olympics but I see the woman VS sumo problem in here moreso than the limited number of participating nations.

[Kashunowaka 300]

i know you probably won't agree but its just my opinon anyway.

I agree with you that the Olympics are too big and that some sports should be removed. However, I don't think that the deciding factor should necessarily be international level of competition, however strange it may sound. Take football (soccer) for example. Not many would miss football if it were excluded from the Olympics - the Olympic football tournament is for Under-23 teams, and there is the FIFA World Cup which is of far greater importance. Another sport which I never understood why it was included again is tennis. Which tennis player cares about winning the Olympics?

On the other hand, there are sports which are in the limelight exactly once every four years, and that is during the Olympics. Equestrian and kayaking are probably two good examples of that. I am not an equestrian fan by a long way, but there is something to be said for tradition as well. (Hm ... Come to think of it - scrap equestrian, they can keep kayaking instead. (In love...))

On Sumo in the Olympics: Sumo has neither the tradition of being an olympic sport, nor (AFAIK) the international level of competition, so right now it doesn't seem feasible. But in the future - who knows?

[Sasanishiki 57]

Point taken, and I too am rather conservative about the Olympics. I think there are too many sports, don't approve of pros in the basketball, soccer etc (but perhaps it is better than the shamateurism of professional Eastern Bloc athletes supported by the state versus proper amateurs from other countries).

However, what claim did Baseball, Taekwando and other sports have when they were included? Each host country is allowed to include sports (currently demonstration sports, although it used to be full competition sports) when they host. This was partly the drive for teh "sumo in the Olympics" push, as Osaka bid to host in 2008. Some sports stick and thrive (judo, TKD) while others perish (Australian Rules football)

On the matter of professionals having their own leagues outside of the Olympics, basketball (until 1992), soccer, cycling, ice-skating/ice-dancing, boxing and many other sports have all had amateur Olympic competitions and (perhaps more well-known and prestigious) professional events. I think this acknowledges that there is more than one level in sports, and if the amateur competition is sufficiently representative and internationally broad then the limited nature of the professional competition shouldn't really matter. For example, what about basketball before the NBA stars started to play? I think if you worry too much about popularity and professional appeal you get the case of tennis in the Olympics and the push for golf to be included.

Just my two cents worth.

[aderechelsea 124]

don't approve of pros in the basketball, soccer etc (but perhaps it is better than the shamateurism of professional Eastern Bloc athletes supported by the state versus proper amateurs from other countries).

like what countries?

all athletes get paid by their governments a small salary and get bonuses for good results......

and what about the sponsors ?

i think there are no longer "amateur" athletes out there cause the level of commitment that is needed leaves no time for working to suppport themselves...

are the American athletes amateurs?

are the English?

the French?

the Greek?

i believe not.....

so the Eastern european athletes should be ?

(Showing respect...)

[Sasanishiki 57]

I said that I was conservative about professionals in the Olympics. What may have been unclear was that I was talking about the days before pros came into the Olympics, and many sports were quite strict about what athletes could receive in the way of prizes etc and that might affect their amateur status.

So, the "shamateurism" that I was referring to dealt specifically with the athletes supported solely by the state systems of Eastern Bloc countries who were able to pursue their sport as a full-time occupation. This was meant in opposition to proper amateur athletes who would train before and after work and on weekends, have to pay their own way to get to tournaments or training, have a mortgage on a house etc.

Yes, the situation has changed to a large extent now for most athletes in most sports. Yes, governments do, and have, given aid to athletes in various ways and various amounts. That was not quite the point I was trying to make.

As for countries, take my native New Zealand for example. Many sports (not necessarily only Olympic sports) involve the activities of amateurs representing their country. Yes, there are professional athletes, and yes, some are semi-professional, but many make up the funds for them to travel to competitions or trainings without much help. They have to seek sponsorship to fund overseas trips to qualify for World Championships and Olympic Games.

[MongolPower 0]

If sumo were to be included in Olympics, should yokozunas, ozekis allowed to participate?

[Manekineko 200]

If sumo was an Olympic sport, I don't think the NSK would allow its rikishi to participate, sice ama-zumo and Ozumo are practically two different sports. All this about sumo becoming an Olympic sport is related to amateur sumo: no mage, no brightly dressed gyoji, no salt tossing, women on the dohyo not only allowed but competing...

Of course, if a yokozuna retires and leaves NSK, there is no impediment for him to become an active ama-zumo wrestler and try for Olympics. (You are going off-topic...)

BTW, agreed - Olympic games have become too vast for their own good, regardeless of the amateur problem. I don't think they should be an encyclopaedia of sports... (Neener, neener...)

[Johnofuji 232]

I too am not really convinced if sumo warrants inclusion as an olympic sport but it would be the closest atire to the original uniforms worn in the ancient games! It is a somewhat tantalising thought that myself and "Scarebare" (nice avatar but there goes your cover if anyone can put ni and ni together) could have been on our way to Athens if sumo were already included. We recently won our respective divisions at the 2004 Oceania Sumo Championships which I believe would qualify us to compete in any other sport. I have to say that I did have a bit of a chuckle when I saw the word "athlete" on my ID tags at my first Sumo Worlds in 1997.On the other hand our American friends do insist on calling their national competitions World Series so why not help internationalise sumo even further? They could even have five doyhos all linked up with each one a different colour.I think the closest I will come to competing at the olympics was when I had to wrestle Grant Hackett, winner of several Olympic gold medals.That day I thought it might be fun to jump of the highdiving board in my mawashi.As I climbed up without my glasses I hadn't noticed the 3000 odd school kids in the stand all chanting "jump sumo!".Luckily I noticed the lighting equipment and film crew at the bottom of the pool .... not to mention the unbroken water.

Whilst on the subject I just wanted to congratulate Morgan Endicott Davies for gaining selection on the Australian Olympic Judo team. Morgan won a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the Sumo Worlds in 1997 and narrowly missed out competing at the 2000 olympics.Morgans mother is Japanese and his father Ivor, a 5th dan judo master was unfortunately unable to compete when his native New Zealand boycotted the Moscow olympics in 1980.Where are those pesky Russians now?Incidently I saw the Olympic flame go past my office this week on its way around the world.Rumour has it that the last one with the torch in Athens has to weld the finishing touches on the stadium with it.

My understanding was that sumo would have to have over 50% of competing countries field a womens team to satisfy the selection criteria.I have 5 sisters and have a fair idea of what not to say to a woman but how does one answer the inevitable question "Does my bum look big in this mawashi?". It brings a whole new dimension to pick up lines like "thats a cute mawashi ... but it would look better crumpled up beside my futon in the morning!".

I would be interested in any suggestions as to the best way to talent scout for potential female participants without getting my face slapped or asking her over dinner when she says "same again thanks waiter" when she has just ordered the whole menu.One charming and seemingly innocent young girl that trained with us a few times has since moved on to Pro wrestling under the name of "Crimson" and works the crowd pretending to have a bad case of PMT.

Gotsuandesu

Johnofuji (In a state of confusion...)