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Akinomaki

7th Hakuho cup

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It's this Sunday in the kokugikan: http://hakuho-cup.com/

And it gets broadcast from 8-20h JST on NicoNico. http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv288032176?ref=qtimetable&zroute=index

I made a timeshift reservation as usual to be able to watch the video anytime later.

Edited by Akinomaki
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Things to watch out for:

Team Event - can Team Mongolia defend their title? Can Team Udo / Kawakami finally win a team event?

Middle School - how well will Kusano Naoya, the Middle School Yokozuna, do?

Grade 6 - are we going to see the Narita Rikido - Uchida Kyota matchup one last time? Will Sosorkhuu be making an impression again this year?

Grade 5 - will the unstoppable Yamashita Shosuke be stopped? How well will Kanazawa Sorato do (assuming he enters)?

Grade 4 - will it be last year's winner, Nishijima Yura, or the rivals from Wakayama, Nishide Daiki and Nakanishi Kaishin?

Grade 3 - can Kodama Hayato win it again, or will Machiko Takuya take it this time?

Edited by mikawa
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53 minutes ago, orandashoho said:

Wasn't Kanazawa Sorato with the Kinboshi Club?

One and the same. I'm not sure whether Kinboshi Sumo Club are going to be participating in this year's Hakuho Cup. If they are, then Kanazawa Towa will be one of the contenders in the Grade 1 category.

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Grade 2 Final:
Tajima Chira (田島 千照) vs ?? ?? (?? ??)

Grade 3 Final:
Kodama Hayato (児玉 颯飛) vs ?? ?? (?? ??)

Grade 4 Final:
Nakanishi Kaishin (中西 海心) vs Nishijima Yura (西島 悠来)

Grade 5 Final:
Ote Kira (大手 希星) vs Sakamoto Shoma (坂本 正真)

Grade 6 Final:
?? ?? (?? ??) vs Narita Rikido (成田 力道)

Middle School Semi-Final:
?? ?? (?? ??) vs Tsuchiya Kazuya (土屋 和也)
Kawabuchi Kazuma (川渕 一意) vs ?? ?? (?? ??)

Middle School Final:
Tsuchiya Kazuya (土屋 和也) vs Kawabuchi Kazuma (川渕 一意)

 

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Grade 2 - Tajima Chira (田島 千照) won last year's Hakuho Cup, so reaching the final this year shows that he is one of the best in his year group, and so his name will probably be coming up a few more times over the next few years.

http://www.nagoyatv.com/archives/074/201605/447915552ad88a1ccab4d25a4dcfb705.jpg

Grade 3 - Kodama Hayato (児玉 颯飛) is going from strength to strength, as he successfully defends his Hakuho Cup title from last year. This kid has shown what it takes to be a star of the future, and will now be the clear favourite to win this summer's Wanpaku Tournament. Watch this space.

Image result for 児玉 颯飛

Grade 4 - A repeat of the Hakuho Cup final for the past 3 years, as once again the department of techniques, Nakanishi Kaishin (中西 海心, first photo) takes on the big kid on the block, Nishijima Yura (西島 悠来, second photo). Once again, the short but skilful Nakanishi has the advantage throughout the bout, but once again, he just couldn't finish it off, try as he may. Once again, Nishijima was eventually able to get a reversal win at the edge, to win is fourth successive Hakuho Cup. My heart goes out to Nakanishi.

Image result for dosukoijouhokyoku 中西 海心Image result for 相撲 西島 悠来

Grade 5 - Someone has finally been able to defeat the unstoppable Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介), as the final this time is contested between Kumamoto's Ote Kira (大手 希星, first photo) and Tokitsukaze Oyakata's younger son, Sakamoto Shoma (坂本 正真, second photo). Sakamoto won the first three Hakuho Cups in his year group, but his size and strength advantage hasn't been as apparent since then. Ote, on the other hand, has been getting better and better, and will be a contender this summer for the Wanpaku.

Image result for 相撲 大手 希星Image result for 相撲 大手 希星

Grade 6 - Aomori's Narita Rikido (成田 力道) must be very happy tonight, as he wins his first ever Hakuho Cup. This victory means that Narita has won the Wanpaku, the Primary School Championships, the Hakuho Cup, the Club Championships and the Chinju-no-Mori Tournament, at least once in his primary school days. This is a remarkable achievement, so kudos to Narita. It would be interesting to see how he develops over the next few years, as he begins to tackle the Middle School Championships this summer.

Image result for 相撲 成田 力道

Middle School - Two of the biggest names in the 3rd Year year group met in this year's final, as the tall and strong Tsuchiya Kazuya (土屋 和也, left in first photo) faced the largely built Kawabuchi Kazuma (川渕 一意, yellow kanji on red background). Kawabuchi has been unlucky in important bouts in the past, but not this time, as his wins his first national tournament.

Image result for 土屋和也 相撲

Image result for 川渕 一意

Edited by mikawa
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However, the biggest news from today has to be that Kawakami Dojo, aka Udo Junior Sumo Club, have FINALLY won a national team competition (3-2 in the final against Yaizu Junior Sumo Club, with the current Middle School Yokozuna, Kusano Naoya, winning the deciding bout). To appreciate what this means to them, I have copied the following extract from the featured club / dojo thread:

Part 2 - One Step Short, Again...

The National Club Championships (全国少年相撲選手権大会) is an annual competition, usually held in October, to decide the country's best sumo club / dojo. Each club / dojo puts out teams of 5 rikishi, with one each in Grade 3 (or lower), Grade 4 (o.l.), Grade 5 (o.l.), Grade 6 (o.l.) and middle school. It is a test of a club / dojo's overall strength and depth, as you can't win the competition with just one top-class member.

Back in October 2013, 79 teams from all over Japan gathered in the Kokugikan Stadium to compete in the 10th National Club Championships. Udo Junior Sumo Club breezed through the 2 qualifying rounds, and what happened next shows how strong they were that year:

Last 32: 5-0 vs Okazaki City Sumo Club (Aichi)

Last 16: 4-1 vs Komatsuryu Dojo - Yoshioka (Tokyo)

Quarter-finals: 4-1 vs Nakadomari Sumo Club (Aomori)

Semi-finals: 4-1 vs Kashiwa Junior Sumo Club (Chiba)

In the final against Tsugaru Sumo Club from Aomori, here's what should happen, based on their individual results:

Honda Gotaro (本田 豪太郎) vs Hasegawa Keiji (長谷川 恵司): Honda to win, as he frequently reaches the quarter-finals of national competitions

Kawazoe Fuma (川副 楓馬) vs Kosaka Yusei (古坂 裕聖): Kawazoe to win, as he was runner-up in that year's Wanpaku Tournament

Hanaoka Masaki (花岡 真生) vs Narumi Shoma (鳴海 匠馬): Hanaoka to win, as he is the defending Wanpaku Yokozuna

Kusano Naoya (草野 直哉) vs Koseki Takudo (小関 拓道): Koseki to win, as he is the defending Wanpaku Yokozuna

Kawakami Ryuko (川上 竜虎) vs Echigoya Tomoki (越後谷 知樹): Kawakami to win, as he is the defending Middle School Yokozuna

In theory, Udo Junior Sumo Club should win this match comfortably by 4-1 (as they have done throughout the tournament). However, here's what actually happened:

 

In February 2015, at the 5th Hakuho Cup, Udo Junior Sumo Club (competing under the name Kawakami Dojo 川上道場) once again dominated their opponents on their way to the final, where they faced Nakadomari Dojo from Aomori. It should be noted that this Nakadomari team includes members from Tsugaru Sumo Club, as Tsugaru were suspended at the time due to their coach using violence during keiko.

Again, here's what should happen, based on their individual results:

Honda Gotaro (本田 豪太郎) vs Narita Rikido (成田 力道): Narita to win, as he is the defending Wanpaku Yokozuna

Kawazoe Fuma (川副 楓馬) vs ???: Kawazoe to win, as he reached the quarter-finals in that year's Wanpaku Tournament

Hanaoka Masaki (花岡 真生) vs Narumi Shoma (鳴海 匠馬): Hanaoka to win, as he is the defending Wanpaku Yokozuna

Kawazoe Keita (川副 圭太) vs Koseki Takudo (小関 拓道): Kawazoe to win, as he was the middle school champion in that year's Hakuho Cup

Tsuzawa Taichi (津澤 太一) vs Ishioka Mikiya (石岡 弥輝也): Ishioka to win, as he reached the semi-finals in that year's Middle School Championships

In theory, Uto Junior Sumo Club should win this match by 3-2. Once again, here's what actually happened:

One year later, at the 6th Hakuho Cup, Udo Junior Sumo Club (again competing under the name Kawakami Dojo 川上道場) once again dominated their opponents on their way to the final, where they faced Team Mongolia. This is what happened:

Such star-studded line-ups, and yet so unlucky in finals.


But now, they can finally put those memories behind them, and enjoy today's long-awaited victory. They are the best sumo club / dojo in Japan.

Image result for 川上道場 相撲
Edited by mikawa
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