Meet the Staff –  Chris Gould Chris, just seconds before defeating former World Sumo Champion Koichi Kato by sukuinage! Chris has been watching sumo since he was four years old (his dad, who did high-school judo, invited him to watch ‘incredibly big, tall and strong’ guys on TV). His interest in the sport has remained constant for nearly 20 years but it is only since leaving university that he has transformed himself into a sumo obsessive. His obsessive phase takes him to Japan regularly, and to Los Angeles to watch amateur sumo. With England being at least eight hours behind Japan throughout the year, he enjoys watching sumo on the internet at the start of his working day during basho. Chris has always appreciated sumo’s unique combination of religion and sport, and considers his sumo friends as among the best he has. He is particularly interested in the differences between amateur and professional sumo, and the links between changes in Japanese society and changes in sumo. His favourite professional sumotori is unquestionably Asashoryu.