32nd National Middle School Student Championships (2021-07-25)

[mikawa 1,794]

Due to the Kokugikan Stadium currently being occupied by Olympic Boxing, this tournament took place today in Sakai City in Osaka. Ohama Park Sumo Arena in Sakai City is basically the Kokugikan of Kansai, at least for amasumo tournaments.

Although the Middle School Yokozuna title is NOT up for grabs in this tournament, it does give a good indication of what might happen in a month's time, when the wrestlers will be going for Yokozuna.

Here's the full video of the event today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTMHybWSqqw

[mikawa 1,794]

Individual Competition

Winner - Shino Soma (篠 宗磨), Ishikawa

Runner-Up - Fujimura Takasaburo (藤村 隆三郎), Fukuoka

Semi-Finals - Nishide Daiki (西出 大毅), Wakayama
Semi-Finals - Samejima Hikaru (鮫島 輝), Saitama

Quarter-Finals - Nishimura Kazuma (西村 和真), Tottori
Quarter-Finals - Yamamoto Juzo (山本 十蔵), Mie
Quarter-Finals - Saito Chugo (齋藤 忠剛), Tokyo
Quarter-Finals - Fukuhara Joichiro (福原 丈一朗), Ehime

 

Team Competition

Winner - Team Wakayama

Runner-Up - Team Tokyo

Semi-Finals - Team Tottori
Semi-Finals - Team Ishikawa

Quarter-Finals - Team Kagoshima
Quarter-Finals - Team Osaka
Quarter-Finals - Team Niigata
Quarter-Finals - Team Gifu

[mikawa 1,794]

Comments

Congratulations to Shino Soma from Ishikawa for taking the championship. His strategy of staying low and pushing off-belt worked like a treat, and when that didn't seem like such a good idea, like in the semi-final against the much taller Samejima "the Shark" Hikaru from Saitama, he just went inside and pulled off a throw. All in all, a good day's work from him.

Speaking of, Samejima Hikaru was part of the Iruma Junior Sumo Club team who won back-to-back national club championships a few years ago. His senpai Kamiyama Ryuichi (Tochikamiyama), a former Middle School Yokozuna, is currently battling in upper Makushita.

Nice to see that the big names from Wanpaku, such as Nishide Daiki, Yamamoto Juzo and Fukuhara Joichiro are still in contention three years on. Juzo looks even slimmer than he used to be.

 

Over in the team competition, Team Wakayama (who are basically Team Wakayama Junior Sumo Club) came out on top in the final against Team Tokyo (who are basically Team Komatsuryu Dojo). The two club rivals in the photo above, Nakanishi Kaishin and Nishide Daiki, already made a formidable team. With another big name in Usuda Tetsuro as well, they will be a very difficult team to beat.

Team Tokyo certainly had a good shot at them, but Saito Chugo and Suekawa Atsuki, former club-mates at Komatsuryu Dojo, couldn't quite get the job done in the final. Wonder if Saito Chugo, who is the son of Kabutoyama-oyakata, will join Ozumo sometime in the future?