Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s historian, JK, wraps his two-part article on the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Amateur Sumo's Global Aspirations
Courtesy: International Sumo Federation
What exactly is it and furthermore, what does it do? The ISF explain themselves and their purpose in existing

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Man or myth? Sumo's first yokozuna comes under the spotlight

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Tokitsukaze-beya and its famous find themselves the target of Barbara's peek into life inside the heya

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Featuring interviews with amateur sumo's European Sumo Union General Secretary and the President of the newly founded Irish Sumo Federation

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Would chanko exist without sumo? What is chanko anyway? Find out in Sumo 101

Photo Bonanza
See the Haru
Basho through the eyes of the fans in the seats as SFM gives the mantle of photographer(s) for this basho to Barbara & Gerald Patten. And don't miss our all-Mongolian Bonanza supplied by our Editor, Barbara Ann Klein

Haru Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Haru Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers the lower division goings on like nobody else around

Natsu Basho Forecast
Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton glances back to look forward in his ones to look out for come May

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Our man Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite

Sumo in Print
Mark Buckton
Our gaming thread takes a break for April so we can look at the Spanish language book on the sport not long since released

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
April's man VS monkey debate covers the issue of reducing the number of honbasho

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
Sit back and enjoy the offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? Thierry Perran lets us in on his reasons for loving this sport

Readers’ Letters
See what some
See what our featured letter is for this issue

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

  for becoming an Olympic Sport is that IFS must be a member of all three.

In 1998, in the same year as the Nagano Winter Olympics, IFS was proud to be given provisional recognition by ARISF. Due to a change in IOC criteria, in 2003 IFS had to reapply, but we were able to receive provisional recognition once again, which brings IFS ever closer to its dream of sumo becoming an Olympic sport.

The following year, IFS successfully applied for recognition to GAISF. GAISF is
 
World Games 2005 Women Heavyweight:
Sandra Köppen (GER) 1st,
Olesya Kovalenko (RUS) 2nd, Edyta Witkowska (POL) 3rd
 a particularly large organization recognizing nearly 100 sports federations and IFS is proud to be a member.

The opportunity to join IWGA came in 2001 at the Akita World Games in Japan, where sumo participated as an invitational sport. The World Games is held every four years in the year following the Summer Olympics, and at these Games, international sports federations recognized by ARISF are able to demonstrate their sport on a world level. IFS became a full member of IWGA in 2002, and was an official sport last year at the 2005 Duisburg World Games. The sumo event in Duisburg was a great success. We intend to further build on this success at the 2009 Kaohsiung World Games in Taiwan.

In 2001, IFS introduced the World Anti-Doping Code and, since then, there have been anti-doping tests at all major international sumo championships.

The IFS wishes to promote the true sport of sumo and we hope you will support us in our dream

World Games 2005 Men Lightweight:
Vitaly Tikhenko(UKR) 1st,
Igor Kurinnoy (RUS) 2nd,
Yuya Hanada (JPN) 3rd
 
 to make sumo an Olympic sport.

If you're interested in starting sumo, please do not hesitate to contact your National Sumo Federation for details of practice places near you. More information about the International Sumo Federation can be found on our website: www.AmateurSumo.com.

Interview with Stephen Gadd Interview with Colin Carroll

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