51st National Middle School Championships (2021-08-22)

[mikawa 1,794]

Our Middle School Yokozuna for 2021 is - Nishide Daiki (西出 大毅)!

 

Individual Tournament:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBzNCTmElhA&t=18566s

Team Tournament:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBzNCTmElhA&t=8978s

Edited August 22, 2021 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Individual Competition

Winner - Nishide Daiki (西出 大毅), Wakayama

Runner-Up - Ino Hibiki (井野 響稀), Tottori

Semi-Finals - Samejima Hikaru (鮫島 輝), Saitama
Semi-Finals - Yoshida Taizo (吉田 泰造), Kagawa

Quarter-Finals - Matsuno Shota (松野 将太), Aomori
Quarter-Finals - Shino Soma (篠 宗磨), Ishikawa
Quarter-Finals - Maro Kosho (マロー 高尚), Aomori
Quarter-Finals - Takahashi Hidetomo (高橋 秀友), Chiba

 

Team Competition

Winner - Team Kumamoto

Runner-Up - Team Nagano

Semi-Finals - Team Ishikawa
Semi-Finals - Team Chiba

Quarter-Finals - Team Tottori
Quarter-Finals - Team Tochigi
Quarter-Finals - Team Tokyo
Quarter-Finals - Team Kagawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Comments

The paths of the top 2 of the Class of 2022, Fukuda Joichiro and Nishide Daiki, have differed somewhat during their middle school days. While both are still in contention for the national tournaments, Nishide Daiki have been able to deliver the goods when it matters, whereas Fukuda Joichiro can't seem to be able to get past Saitama's Samejima "The Shark" Hikaru.

It was always going to be difficult for anyone this tournament to stop Nishide Daiki when he's on form. He has a large body, strong muscles, quick mind and doesn't rely on any particular techniques during his bouts. The guy has no clear weakness at all. It also doesn't hurt that he's called Daiki, as I'm sure college sumo star Nakamura Daiki will attest.

However, the name that stands out the most in the Top 8 is probably Maro "The Lion" Kosho from Aomori. He started his sumo journey with Mitaka Sumo Club in Tokyo, before moving to Aomori with his family. He has a British father and a Japanese mother, and has always shown great strength in his bouts. His time in Aomori has allowed him to fully take advantage of his strength by learning how to keep his opponents off his belt, and it has paid off greatly today. Being able to overpower his former Mitaka team-mate Kodama Hayato is no mean feat, and he nearly produced an upset against eventual winner Nishide Daiki as well. Both Maro Kosho and Kodama Hayato are only in the second year of Middle School, so it should be interesting to see what happens next summer.

Speaking of, Kodama Hayato has definitely slimmed down since his primary school days. He is still a very strong rikishi with a flexible fighting style, but one does wonder how much his future in sumo will be affected by this loss of weight. The signs from this tournament doesn't look good I have to say.

Over in the team competition, Ito Hirohide (Chris Gould's favourite young rikishi) and Kuraoka Yuta (Kodama's biggest rival) rolled back the years from when they won multiple Hakuho Cups together by helping Team Shodai (they're from the same club) overcome the Hayashi twins of Team Mitakeumi (again, same club) in the final.

Both Ito Hirohide and Kuraoka Yuta will be returning for next year's Middle School Championships to defend their team title, by which time Team Chiba will have a fully powered-up Kodama Hayato and a much stronger Toyoda "Future Monster" Rinnosuke (semi-finalists this year). Should be an exciting match!

[Katooshu 3,135]

What year are the Hayashi twins in? They looked good.

[mikawa 1,794]

17 hours ago, Katooshu said:

What year are the Hayashi twins in? They looked good.

They are in their final year of middle school.

[Katooshu 3,135]

Nishide reminds me a bit of Kazuma Kawabuchi - huge body, but fairly well-rounded and technically sound, and not just about overpowering opponents with size. He should do better in high school than many of the previous elementary/middle school 'monsters'.

Edited August 26, 2021 by Katooshu