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.

 
As head of the Dutch Federation team at the 2005 World Sumo Championships in Sakai, Osaka, Stephen Gadd (left) with his deshi
 not be given the chance to at least win back some of the training costs involved?

MB – Finally, returning to your post as President of the Dutch Federation, how do you rank your team's chances at this year's Junior (Estonia) and Senior (Japan) amateur events?

SG – At the junior level, maybe one medal in the lightweights. Last year we won four medals at the SWC (senior event), so anything less than this in 2006 is a step backwards in the senior championships. But
sumo is sumo so you never know.

For those interested in amateur sumo in the Netherlands feel free to visit their homepage (in Dutch) at: www.sumobond.nl
Or, for those farther afield and perhaps more interested in the European set-up (in English): http://amateursumo.com/
members/europe.htm

Sumo Ireland
bid. Obviously if you want to sell your house, then you have to get it in order. I sincerely hope the bid will succeed as that would be everyone's dream.

MB – As many know, a sumo event in New York last year brought in a certain level of financial support for the amateurs involved. Would you see the U.S. dollar or other currencies playing an increasing role in the amateur side of the
sport in the years to come?

SG – Absolutely. It is ridiculous to expect an athlete to give the best years of his life to try and win a gold medal that he could not even use to buy a loaf of bread the next day. If athletes are given the chance to earn money, I think they should be allowed to benefit from this opportunity. Who would suggest that an athlete should pay all his own costs, train hard and