New recruits Aki 2025

[Akinomaki]

The shindeshi-kensa for the Aki basho will be on Sep. 5th, day 1 with the result announcement is on the 14th.  o

[Akinomaki]

A new recruit for Oshiogawa-beya, from Iwate, where the jungyo was last week, Mitsuki Ito 伊藤光希  (18), from Tairadate high in Hachimantai, the sumo stronghold in Iwate pref. After half a year employment at the  local Hachimantai Sanken Soil Inc., aiming to join ozumo, while training at the sumo club of the company (their homepage has as news only a link to a 2017 corporate sumo result). The article hints that the entry might be delayed to a later basho, it's decided now that he joins the heya. The full article is not on the web. o

his aim is sekitori 

Edited August 20, 2025 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki]

After the 6 months trainee period, Tamanoi's new Mongolian Otgonbat joins for Aki, with dohyo debut in Kyushu, after he has the performer visa

On 13/02/2025 at 18:47, Katooshu said:

Not one for Haru so this will be reposted or moved in the future, but since this thread is active and there is no set debut yet, I guess I'll mention it here.

Seen in traditional ozumo garb, alongside members of Tamanoi beya at the Hakuho Cup, was 196cm Toyo University team member Otgonbat. The tall Mongolian has been one of the better competitors in college sumo the last few years, winning two national tournaments and regularly placing top 8 or better. However, he had bad luck at the tsukedashi granting events last year (he also only competed in 2 of the 3), so I don't believe he'd be eligible for the elevated start.

In the middle, winner of the Towada college tournament, with Haru newcomer Goshima on the right. On the left is Kokutai yokozuna Omori, who has one year of college left but plans to go pro. I think Omori may be the best prospect of the three, but they all have good potential.

Oggie (nickname オギー ) came to Japan May 2019, invited by Meitoku gijuku high sumo club coach Yamada, encouraged by Takasago/Asasekiryu. He started with sumo as 1st year at Meitoku, before that he did Mongolian sumo and basketball. As Toyodai 3rd year, after Towada he won the national select university/corporate sumo Kariya tournament and later left university - he had waited for the chance to join ozumo. In January he knocked at the door of Tamanoi-beya, the oyakata had watched him at tournaments.

o

With 197cm (21, ,175kg) taller than the heya's active top height Yoshiazuma (195cm - doesn't look that way in the pic, but that's perspective - and the hair cut down to 5mm)

o

- top in makuuchi is Onosato (192cm), tallest since the NSK started proper measuring for Aki 1953 are Akebono, Kotooshu and Hokuseiho with 204cm, before that, since the start of Showa 100 years ago,  Fudoiwa is the tallest with 212cm.

[Asashosakari]

Interestingly, the birthdate given by Sponichi (May 18, 2004) makes him one year too young for his class year...ordinarily someone of that age would graduate from university in 2027, but if he was really a third-year student before quitting school at the start of the year, he was set to be a 2026 graduate.

We saw some Mongolians early on (2010 to 2015-ish) who had been placed into lower class years in their Japanese high schools (= were older than their Japanese classmates), but more recently they've always been of the appropriate age, so Otgonbat sticks out altogether, being younger.

[Asashosakari]

Also, since we only had it in other threads so far:

On 20/07/2025 at 02:17, Reonito said:

‪ヘルット‬ ‪@sumofollower.bsky.social‬

Ochirsaikhan, the Mongolian beast practicing at Isegahama since 2021, has been approved as the heya's foreigner, and will have the check up in Aki. The JSA ruled that Seihakuho does not block the slot as Miyagino beya is just "under care of" Isegahama www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/...

The news of that didn't outright state (unlike the Otgonbat coverage) that Ochirsaikhan will have the one-basho visa cooldown and only start competing in Kyushu, but it should be a given that he does.

[Katooshu]

Good luck to the 15-year-old sticks who draw them in maezumo

[Akinomaki]

3 will be at the shindeshi-kensa on the 5th, all 3 already mentioned here - only one of them in maezumo now, the others for Kyushu

Ochir in July

o o

in April, happy as he had officially started his 6 months trainee period - after already 4 years in the heya

o o o

July 2023

o

already sanyaku class skills - he overwhelmed Kirishima when he came for degeiko - his initial winning streak is something to look forwards to (top is Jokoryu with 27)

He's 11th longest heya member among the 34 now in the biggest of all heya, same school year as Atamifuji

Edited September 3, 2025 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki]

All 3 passed the initial check and wait for the results of the medicals, to be announced on day 1. 

o o o

Otgonbat, Ochir, Ito

o o o

the papers at first only had Ochir

 o o o

o o

extra thread about Ochir topic/45154-ochil-the-most-talked-about-mongolian-prospect-enters-sumo/

Otgonbat, the soon tallest in sumo

o

the 2 Mongolians, who will meet and debut on the Kyushu dohyo

ooo o o

Edited September 5, 2025 by Akinomaki

[Asashosakari]

On 27/08/2025 at 13:21, Asashosakari said:

Interestingly, the birthdate given by Sponichi (May 18, 2004) makes him one year too young for his class year...ordinarily someone of that age would graduate from university in 2027, but if he was really a third-year student before quitting school at the start of the year, he was set to be a 2026 graduate.

We saw some Mongolians early on (2010 to 2015-ish) who had been placed into lower class years in their Japanese high schools (= were older than their Japanese classmates), but more recently they've always been of the appropriate age, so Otgonbat sticks out altogether, being younger.

Daily Sports (thanks for the link, Akinomaki) also found the age/grade mismatch worthy of note and clears up the mystery: According to Otgonbat himself, he had originally entered elementary school a year earlier back in Mongolia because he was such a large kid already, and that age discrepancy has simply carried forward through his time at Meitoku Gijuku HS and Toyo University.

[Asashosakari]

Kensa stats (all names in surname - given name order):

Ganbat Otgonbat ガンバト オトゴンバト 197 cm, 173 kg, 2004/05/18, Tamanoi-beya
Battsetseg Ochirsaikhan バトツェツェゲ オチルサイハン 185 cm, 150 kg, 2002/05/17, Isegahama-beya
Ito Mitsuki 伊藤 光希 いとう みつき 175 cm, 125 kg, 2006/09/27, Oshiogawa-beya

Height/weight numbers via a series of Nikkan articles (Oggy, Ochir, Ito), birthdates from...elsewhere. The article about Ito adds that he's going to compete as 風光希, presumably read Kazemitsuki just like his real given name is (and which will probably mean he's getting a new given name to go with it as well).

And now we wait to find out if Kazemitsuki will actually get to have a maezumo bout against a returning rikishi, or just gets his name added to the Kyushu banzuke directly...

(For Doitsuyama: The listing above should be the order in which their profiles will be added by the Kyokai. I can't provide their shusshin data at the moment, the Kyokai has the two Mongolians with Tokyo locations again. Ito's is Hachimantai in Iwate, but that might be wrong, too.)

Edit: I guess Ochir won't have to do the physical aptitude test programme that's theoretically standard for every rookie aged 23/24 now?

Edited September 5, 2025 by Asashosakari

[Kintamayama]

 Ganbat Otgonbat (21, Tamanoi) is 197 cm tall and weighs 173 kg, meeting the minimum physical requirements of 167 cm and 67 kg. He surpasses the tallest guys in sumo at the moment Kinbouzan and former Makuuchi Yoshiazuma (48, Tamanoi), both of whom are 195 cm tall. Growing up with large parents—his father was 185 cm tall and his mother was about 170 cm tall—he thrived. Because of his large build from a young age, he skipped grades at age 5 in Mongolian elementary school. "At 14, I was about 190 cm tall, but weighed less than 100 kg. In high school, I weighed around 125 kg. In college, I weighed around 160 kg, and then I joined Tamanoi beya and gained even more weight." He began sumo seriously at Meitoku Gijuku in Kochi, and after doing well at Toyo University, he dropped out and entered the sumo world. "I originally came to Japan to join the professional sumo world," he said, realizing his dream from when he arrived in Japan. Although he is close to reaching 2 meters, he spoke in fluent Japanese, saying, "I don't think I'll grow any more. I've grown one centimeter since university, so maybe that's where I stopped? I don't need 2 meters (laughs)." From now on, he will await the results of his internal organ examination, and the successful candidates will be announced on shonichi.

[Akinomaki]

8 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

I guess Ochir won't have to do the physical aptitude test programme that's theoretically standard for every rookie aged 23/24 now?

That former secondary test is now the preceding first test, as clearance to be at the main shindeshi kensa. There was none, your guess must be right.

[Akinomaki]

The later NikkanSp pics from the other 2

Otgonbat

o o o

Ito

o o o

[I am the Yokozuna]

16 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

 Ganbat Otgonbat (21, Tamanoi) is 197 cm tall and weighs 173 kg, meeting the minimum physical requirements of 167 cm and 67 kg.

That was a good one. Understated remark. He basically cleared the minimum requirements by one whole human.

[maglor]

On 05/09/2025 at 06:18, Asashosakari said:

Daily Sports (thanks for the link, Akinomaki) also found the age/grade mismatch worthy of note and clears up the mystery: According to Otgonbat himself, he had originally entered elementary school a year earlier back in Mongolia because he was such a large kid already, and that age discrepancy has simply carried forward through his time at Meitoku Gijuku HS and Toyo University.

I wonder what the discrepancy is between the US and Japan; does Japan have more years of schooling or do kids start later? In the US someone born May 2004 would graduate college 2026

[Andreas21]

On 06/09/2025 at 08:35, I am the Yokozuna said:

That was a good one. Understated remark. He basically cleared the minimum requirements by one whole human.

That be would be 30cm, 106kg human. Chandra Bahadur Dangi was 55cm but only 14,5kg. Well, how can I now get that image out of my head?

[I am the Yokozuna]

This is why no one invites us to casual conversations. And yet, here we are proudly ruining the vibe with data. 

[Akinomaki]

On 20/08/2025 at 22:12, Akinomaki said:

A new recruit for Oshiogawa-beya, from Iwate, where the jungyo was last week, Mitsuki Ito 伊藤光希  (18), from Tairadate high in Hachimantai, the sumo stronghold in Iwate pref. After half a year employment at the  local Hachimantai Sanken Soil Inc., aiming to join ozumo, while training at the sumo club of the company

Ito/Kazemitsuki was best 16 at the Interhigh in his first year, best 8 at a national select tournament in 2nd year.

- He joined the heya from the closest prefecture, Takekaze's Akita is closer to his school and hometown Hachimantai than Aomori. 

https://www.iwate-np.co.jp/article/2025/9/11/186563

Edited September 11, 2025 by Akinomaki

[Naganoyama]

NSK data:
SHIKONA	KANJI	NAME	HEYA	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	DOB	BIRTHPLACE
Battsetseg Ochirsaikhan	バトツェツェゲ	Battsetseg Ochirsaikhan	Isegahama	185	150	17 - May - 2002	Mongolia
Ganbat Otogonbat	ガンバト	Ganbat Otogonbat	Tamanoi	197	173	18 - May - 2004	Mongolia
Ito Mitsuki	伊藤	Ito Mitsuki	Oshiogawa	175	125	27 - September- 2006	Iwate

 

[Naganoyama]

Ah... Beaten to it.

[Asashosakari]

The detailed Day 3 schedule just came out and there's maezumo on it, so I guess they found someone for Kazemitsuki to face.

[Asashosakari]

Two someones, in fact, as both Minatoryu (active in Natsu, last-minute withdrawal from Nagoya with a Day 2 fusenpai) and Goseiryu (last fought in Aki 2024) have returned to action. Three participants means a quick round-robin, so this will remain the only day of maezumo for this tournament.

Results:

Mz1   Minatoryu (0-1)         Mz2   Goseiryu (1-0)
Mz1   Minatoryu (0-2)         Mz3   Kazemitsuki (1-0)
Mz3   Kazemitsuki (2-0)       Mz2   Goseiryu (1-1)

Not much to say about this. Goseiryu is presumably still around low sandanme level and Kazemitsuki handled him quite easily so should be at least there as well, but I think we would have deduced as much from his reported results at the high school level already. Minatoryu should feel more at home again among the usual crowd of jonokuchi/low jonidan dwellers next basho, these two matchups were clearly well beyond his abilities.

The, ahem, final standings:

Mz3  Kazemitsuki  Oshiogawa  2-0
Mz2  Goseiryu     Takekuma   1-1
Mz1  Minatoryu    Minato     0-2

Late edit: The Day 8 presentation, of course with only Kazemitsuki present.

 

Edited November 11, 2025 by Asashosakari

[Kintamayama]

We have a word "gamloni", roughly translated as "camel-ish" meaning, a bit clumsy, or unpolished, I guess. So, Kazemitsuki.

[Muhomatsu]

... and we have a shikona for Oggi (Otgonbat) from Tamanoi-beya.

TENSHŌYAMA:  天昇山

https://x.com/sumo_tamanoi/status/1980888444894343278

[Asashosakari]

To be exact, Tenshōyama Shōgo 天昇山 将伍 てんしょうやま しょうご:

Edited October 22, 2025 by Asashosakari