lanovami This space for rent
Registered: 05/02/05
Posts: 7405
Loc: 東京都
The judge with the white hair is Minatogawa. That is his elder name, his name when active in sumo was Daitetsu. He is Japanese.
There are no weight classes as I suspect you know. You can stand as far back from the white line as you want as long as you are in the circle, though most don't. Yes, you can slap in the face. It is called "haridashi". You are however, not allowed to pull on another's top knot or you are disqualified.
_________________________ We are what we repeatedly do - Aristotle
lanovami This space for rent
Registered: 05/02/05
Posts: 7405
Loc: 東京都
Well, the tournament is over.
Once again, Mongolian Hakuho took it, for his fourth championship in a row. He is on a roll to have the most championships ever.
His "rival" fellow Mongolian Harumafuji, didn't put up much of a challenge but I don't count him out.
Much more exciting is the two newcomers Endo, the Japanese hope, and Osuna-arashi, the Egyptian who are sure to become regular rivals in the near future.
_________________________ We are what we repeatedly do - Aristotle
I watched the final match on youtube. I can't stay up late enough to watch it live. I saw some discussion about them asking Harumafuji to retire if he doesn't win more. Wouldn't that be a little quick? I think he finished 10-5 in this tournament.
_________________________
Common sense and deodorant are a lot alike. People who need it the most don't use it.
lanovami This space for rent
Registered: 05/02/05
Posts: 7405
Loc: 東京都
Yes, the bar is raised high for Harumafuji. I am not sure why. There have been less successful yokozuna. But yokozuna are expected to get 13-2 or better most of the time. There is always "pressure", nothing can actually be done to force them to retire. And they can't get demoted either, the only way out is death or retirement.
_________________________ We are what we repeatedly do - Aristotle
lanovami This space for rent
Registered: 05/02/05
Posts: 7405
Loc: 東京都
One of the 4 hangers on who is still older than me in the sport of sumo has just retired. Koriyama, enjoy your retirement. He only retired because his stable closed and the stable that took on the stable-less wrestlers wouldn't take him because of his age. He was the youngest of the 4. The 3 remaining started sumo in 1986 more or less straight out of junior high school. After them, it is a 3 and a half year gap before you get to the next oldest wrestler.
_________________________ We are what we repeatedly do - Aristotle