13th National Club Championships (2016-10-9)

[mikawa 1,794]

(第13回全国少年相撲選手権大会)

Winner

Nakadomari Dojo A (中泊道場, Aomori)

Runner-Up

Gifu Thursday Sumo Club A (岐阜木曜クラブ, Gifu)

Semi-Finals

Yaizu Junior Sumo Club A (やいづ少年相撲クラブ, Shizuoka)

Tsugaru Asahifuji Junior Sumo Club (つがる旭富士ジュニアクラブ, Aomori)

Videos

Semi-final #1

Nakadomari Dojo A (Aomori) vs Yaizu Junior Sumo Club A (Shizuoka):

Semi-final #2

Gifu Thursday Sumo Club A (Gifu) vs Tsugaru Asahifuji Junior Sumo Club (Aomori):

Final

Nakadomari Dojo A (Aomori) vs Gifu Thursday Sumo Club A (Gifu):

 

Comments

Eternal rivals Narita Rikido (成田 力道, of Nakadomari Dojo) and Uchida Kyota (内田 京汰, of Yaizu Junior Sumo Club) don't seem to be content with just winning individual competitions any more, as they take their battle to the National Club Championships, in the semi-finals no less. It was a very good bout (as was the entire match), but this time, Narita's extraordinary power was able to come through for his team (unlike 2 months ago at the Wanpaku Tournament), helping them to earn a hard-fought victory over Yaizu Junior Sumo Club, who are this year's favourites.

This year, Yaizu Junior Sumo Club boasted a very strong team, with a wanpaku quarter-finalist in Suzuki Masane (鈴木 真実, left), the current wanpaku yokozuna in Uchida Kyota (内田 京汰, right), and a very strong rikishi in the middle school spot whom I wasn't able to identify, but who did win a major tournament this summer (the NSK Grading Examination Tournament). Alas, it wasn't to be their year, as they went out 3-2 in the semi-finals.

Aomori's Nakadomari Dojo is one of the traditional powerhouse clubs in amateur sumo, winning the team competition at last year's Hakuho Cup (at Udo Junior Sumo Club's expense, because, who else). They have produced many a big name over the years, including wanpaku yokozuna Shinpo Kyoya (新保 杏也, aka "Giant of the North"), wanpaku semi-finalist and middle school quarter-finalist Ishioka Mikiya (石岡 弥輝也), 2-time wanpaku yokozuna Narita Rikido (成田 力道, right), and wanpaku quarter-finalist Nara Subaru (奈良 昴, left). Coming back from 2-1 down in the semi-final and 2-0 down in the final wasn't easy, but manage it they did, and are now officially the best club / dojo in Japan.

Nakadomari Dojo played their part in the Kinboshi Sumo Club series, as did Tsugaru Asahifuji Junior Sumo Club (it helps that both clubs are from Aomori), who did very well in reaching the semi-finals. That was certainly unexpected. Even more unexpected was Nagao Yuki (長尾 勇気, aka "Yuki the Genius")'s club, Gifu Thursday Sumo Club, finishing runner-up in this tournament (much akin to last year's runner-up, Mitaka Sumo Club). Gifu Thursday Sumo Club have always been an established club with some very skilled rikishi in the midst, but as a team have not done anything of note over the past few years, until today. With Shinpa Kyoya and Nagao Yuki's respective clubs facing each other in the final, there's certainly a sense of deja vu about the match.

Edited October 12, 2016 by mikawa