Baruto Intai

[Masumasumasu 902]

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20130911-00000010-nksports-spo

[Pandaazuma 1,310]

According to Yahoo Japan, which I glanced at this morning, Baruto is retiring:

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20130911-00000010-nksports-spo.view-000

I don't have time to check, and no doubt someone like Moti or Akinomaki will confirm this, but it seems Baruto has told his oyakata that he wants to retire. However, as far as I can see, the retirement is not 100% officially confirmed yet.

However, given his situation - no practice possible and certain demotion from Juryo with another kyujo - it seems very likely that this is curtains for Baruto.

[bettega 431]

Sad sad day :-(

I really liked Baruto way of doing sumo.

[Masumasumasu 902]

Sad sad day :-(

I really liked Baruto way of doing sumo.

Yeah. I'm sad, too. Baruto was one of my favorites.

[Asashosakari 18,968]

I don't have time to check, and no doubt someone like Moti or Akinomaki will confirm this, but it seems Baruto has told his oyakata that he wants to retire. However, as far as I can see, the retirement is not 100% officially confirmed yet.

Yes, not certain yet, but all signs pointing to it. According to Onoe-oyakata, when he was travelling on the recent Jakarta trip, Baruto's intention was still to rehab the left knee thoroughly, regardless of what it would do to his ranking position in the meantime, but when he returned to Japan Baruto's mood had turned to uncertainty about what to do, and now it looks like he's made up his mind to retire.

Edit: After browsing around some, it looks like this is a Nikkan Sports-only story for now. Remains to be seen if any other papers pick it up later today.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Asashosakari

[Pandaazuma 1,310]

Thanks, Asasho...it didn't look written in stone from my cursory glance and now I know.

I like Baruto a lot, but I don't really see much point in him continuing with an injury as serious as that - at his age and weight, he's never going to be the same rikishi he was. I know from Mario over on ST (who knows Baruto's family) that he is quite homesick for Estonia - maybe it's time to go back and settle for good!

[Masumasumasu 902]

Yes. Baruto is wonderful. It is a shame to think that just over a year ago, Yokozuna promotion was being discussed of him.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Masumasumasu

[Benevolance 2,483]

This news sucks.

[Mark.Buckton 68]

http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_7/Interview.htm

interview with him back @ Mihogaseki Beya.

[specialweek 2 136]

Very sad news with a career what might have been. No love loss between Boss and Baruto's misses might have been another factor.

[Ganzohnesushi 510]

Sad, very sad. I always liked the smile on his face. And I really loved his tsuridashi. I will miss him.

Ganzohnesushi

[Gernobono 463]

I will miss him.

I won't miss him.

[Mark.Buckton 68]

I will miss him.

I won't miss him.

I'm sure he'll be able to live with that.

[krindel 671]

Terribly sad news for me, although not unexpected, I have to admit. I think his placement on J3 (and thus essentially dropping him to Makushita if he couldn't fight yet) was the last nail, although his kind of injury is the sort that he would have had a VERY hard time bouncing from.

I will miss him, and I will miss even more what he could have been. He was the second best rikishi for a long time, in my book, and I wonder if he could have done a bit more, if his knee hadn't finally given way :(.

[p2501 15]

Sad news, ungrateful way to drop out. Seems it can't be helped.

[kuroimori 1,634]

I had been preparing for some sort of announcement, especially since the last injury and no signs of returning to even basic training.

Useless to speculate now whether going kyujo (and seeking professional treatment/surgery) after his sure demotion from the ozeki rank at the Kyushu 2012 basho would have created better opportunities for him to return to ozeki, we'll never know.

(I wonder if Tochinoshin with his knee injury will follow him soon in a similar way)

Well, as sad as it is, I think Mr. Höövelson will look at the bright side of life, which for him means returning to his beloved home country Estonia - and becoming a farmer.

I will miss the Estonian "crane" for sure!

All the best to him!

[Koldonowaka 1]

More info: http://tinyurl.com/nwtwt6y

[Akinomaki 40,053]

Too many articles, I'll split it.

Intai press conference in the kokugikan, with Onoe-oyakata.
“Because of the knee I decided to retire from my active career. I'm much obliged to all in Japan.”
Baruto in tears: “It's sad, but the injury doesn't heal. I didn't want to drop further on the banzuke.”
“I enjoyed the 9 years. If I hadn't become an o-sumo-san, I hadn't met this wonderful fans.”
“Because the injury doesn't heal I can't stand on the dohyo. I reflected on several things and thought that I want to let it end here. There were many chances for a (2^nd) yusho, but I always had easy losses. But it's only good memories. Sumo was the best.”








And the smile again:




Flowers afterwards




He also wants to get involved in some Japan-Estonia interaction business.

The fatal blow, the injury on top of injury in the bout against Kisenosato on day 7 Natsu.



The yusho in the Hatsu basho 2012.

[Akinomaki 40,053]

FNN news video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBDhRf7wLio

NHK has the video only for Japan again, the TBS news page has no video yet.

[Harry 67]

Sad but not unexpected. Honestly I thought this would have happened long ago before he made it to ozeki so I think he really did well to push through the injury and make it as far as he did. His crane lifts out of the dohyo and big smile will be the lasting memories of his career for me.

[Randomitsuki 2,812]

@mods: merger of the two Baruto intai topics please.

Sorry for the delay. The two topics have been merged now.

[ALAKTORN 346]

Really sad news…

[Asashosakari 18,968]

Ozeki retirements before age 30:

Daiju 27y 1m

Kotokaze 28y 6m

Baruto 28y 10m

Maenoyama 29y 0m

Itsutsushima 29y 1m

[yorikiried by fate 2,001]

Big bad news.

Someone cut off the last three or four years of Kaio's and Chiyotaikai's careers and give them to Baruto.

[Akinomaki 40,053]

more from other articles.

Jiji remarks that if he had properly learned the basic move to do sumo with bent knees and lowering his hips he might have had a longer career. That in spite of Onoe-oyakata's remark that ”He had an immense power from the start. He quickly learned suri-ashi etc.”
He already spoke, beside his mother-tongue, Russian, English, German and in no time mastered Japanese. His cheerful forward looking nature helped his quick success.
In his 3^rd makuuchi basho Aki 2006 he injured his left knee. He changed his sumo and got to ozeki, but never mastered the basics.

His best memory is the last bout of the Haru basho 2006 with his juryo zensho yusho (after 43 years) against Takanowaka. “I was extremely happy. From there on I found an objective and kept at it.” His only not good recollection is that the one he didn't won was the sandanme yusho.
His regret is that he didn't get to yokozuna and only won the yusho once. “There were many opportunities though. All my fault. I thought of the yusho and couldn't sleep, it wasn't easy. In the end I got tense and stiff. There is also the part that I was too gentle.”
What made him go on: “All the fans, the family, my wife and all in the heya.”

Other plans: “One is to become tourist ambassador. I won't be detached completely from sumo. I want to go to Hokkaido for sightseeing.“
“If there is one who might become a good rikishi, I'll bring him here (from Estonia).”

NNN news video
http://www.news24.jp/nnn/movie/news89065548.html
WMV: http://www.news24.jp/player/wm/300k.html?m_url=20130911_0067

Edited September 11, 2013 by Akinomaki