New Juryo Asahakuryuu

[Kintamayama 47,331]

New Juryo Mongolian Asahakuryuu arrived in Japan on the same plane as Houshouryuu and Oushouma in 2015. He joined the Nippon Sport Science University's sumo club aiming to enter pro-sumo. Oushouma and Houshouryuu both switched from wrestling to sumo after a year, and joined ahead of him. Now he has finally caught up with them, at least sekitori-wise. He managed to meet Oushouma at the IG Arena and exchange some words but as Houshouryuu was kyujo. they didn't meet. Now, on day 7 of the jungyo, Houshouryuu finally met him and congratulated him on his promotion. During his high school days, Asahakuryuu's participation in tournaments was limited due to Houshouryuu's presence, but Houshouryuu said, "I always trained hard with him. He was strong.." 

On this day, Asahakuryuu revealed the conversation he had with Houshouryuu when he was certain to be promoted to Juryo . "He called me, and I missed the call, so when I called back, he said, 'You're getting too cocky after becoming a sekitori. You should go out and compete,'" he said with a smile. "He then said to me, 'Congratulations. When you become a sekitori, come train with us..' I'd love to borrow his chest,"  added Asakouryuu happily. Although he said that Houshouryuu had recognized his strength since high school, he calmly stated, "We weren't evenly matched. I had the advantage in terms of strength alone when we grappled, but he had wrestled, so he had the technique. I was constantly being thrown with uwatenage and shitatenage. I think that now there's a huge difference in strength alone." Asahakuryuu was unable to enter the sumo world after graduating from high school, but instead went to Takushoku University and has since risen through the ranks, starting with his debut in Jonokuchi. 

While he has a goal of facing Houshouryuu, when asked when that will be, he looked down at his feet and said, "No. not my goal.. My goal is to become a Yokozuna or Ozeki, but I'll think about what's in front of me. It's not good to think about the distant future. If I focus on what's in front of me, I'll get there eventually." He will be presented with a kesho mawashi  by his alma mater, Takushoku University. He has just returned from a trip to Mongolia and is currently concentrating on his training. His father is a former police officer and was a sekiwake in Mongolian sumo. "My father apparently never thought about becoming a Yokozuna when he was younger. That's why he started telling me, 'It's better to have big goals,'" he said. He will be a new Juryo at the age of 26. In his future match against Houshouryuu or in his goal of becoming a Yokozuna or Ozeki - whatever it is, he will give it his all.

Edited August 13 by Kintamayama