| Brothers in Sumo – part two Brian Lewin |
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| Yokozuna Comparisons Joe Kuroda |
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| Rikishi of Old John Gunning |
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| Heya Peek Barbara Ann Klein |
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| SFM Interview John Gunning |
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| Sumo 101 Barbara Ann Klein |
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| Photo Bonanza See the Hatsu Basho |
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| Hatsu Basho Review Lon Howard |
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| Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila |
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| Haru Basho Forecast Pierre Wohlleben & Mark Buckton |
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| Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila |
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| Minusha John McTague |
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| Online Gaming Alexander Nitschke |
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| Kokugi Connections Todd Lambert |
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| Fan Debate Feb's debate sees |
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SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In the third of our cartoon bonanzas, sit back and enjoy BL’s offerings and put a caption to ST’s pic to win yourselves a banzuke
| Let’s Hear From You What was it that |
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| Readers’ Letters See what some SFM |
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Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
Hakuho
Even before his day 12 injury, it was evident that Asashoryu was off his game, having sacrificed some training time for another sojourn to Mongolia. Now with three potential rivals instead of just one, his passport may stay tucked away for a few months. Not much is known about the severity of the injury to his right arm – reportedly either a pulled or torn muscle – but if he doesn’t get back into training timely, it will not be a good sign. Stay tuned.
Besides Tochiazuma’s struggle to throw off kadoban, the major sub-plot going into the basho was Kotooshu’s ozeki debut. One might feel the urge to depreciate his 10-5 record with losses on the final three days, especially
Barring any intai announcement, Chiyotaikai and Kaio will both be kadoban in Osaka, which would be a record 9th for both men. Chiyotaikai is reported to have muscle issues (pectoral and neck) which will keep him off the practice dohyo for three weeks to a month. With Kaio’s chronic lower back pain, who knows…the intai talk will probably continue until it finally happens, whenever that may be.
By basho’s end, Hakuho had received the same promotion he received at the end of last year’s Hatsu – to ‘next yokozuna.’ Of course, there’s the stepping stone called ozeki to be negotiated first, but with a full year of sanyaku experience and a new bulked and buffed look – now over 150 kg – the ozeki hurdle seems entirely possible. Weightier still was his presence on the dohyo this time out – he wasn’t pushed around as much, possibly due to his healed injured ankle. His tachiai was sharp, if not explosive, and he seemed in control of most of his bouts, reminiscent of how he surged through the maegashira
Kotomitsuki
Before the basho, there was ‘speculation’ – a/k/a desperate hope – that Kotooshu’s rise to ozeki would spur heya-mate Kotomitsuki to new resolve to approach his potential. But even though ’Mitsuki faced only one of the five rikishi ranked above him, he still slipped and slid his way to yet another 8-7 mark. ’Nuff said – sad to say, sad to see.
There was little on hand to predict the breakout
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