| Nagoya Nears Eric Blair |
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| Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda |
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| Heya Peek Barbara Ann Klein |
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| SFM Interview Mark Buckton |
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| Sumo 101 Barbara Ann Klein |
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| Photo Bonanza See the Natsu |
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| Natsu Basho Summary Lon Howard |
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| Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila |
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| Nagoya Ones to Watch Mark Buckton |
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| Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila |
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| Amateur Angles Howard Gilbert |
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| Sumo Game Bruce Rae |
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| Sumo in Print Barbara Ann Klein |
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| Kokugi Connections Todd Lambert |
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| Fan Debate Facilitator – Lon Howard |
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| SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson |
| Let’s Hear From You What was it that |
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| Readers’ Letters |
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Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
Outside of Japan, amateur sumo does not have as many participants and the organisations are still in their infancy. While university sumo in Japan, for example, has been in existence for nearly 90 years, most overseas organisations have been established only in the last 15 years. There are pockets worldwide – in South America, Hawai‘i and the west coast of the United States, all places settled by Japanese immigrants – that have had established sumo for longer, but most international amateur sumo organisations have been created in the wake of the first World Sumo Championships held in December 1992. It is this annual tournament and the work of the International Sumo Federation (IFS) to promote the sport that have led to its spread throughout Europe, parts of Asia, into the South Pacific and in areas of Africa – far beyond areas of Japanese settlement or
Beyond Japan, the sport is concentrated in the teenaged and adult population, although children are involved in sumo organisations in some countries. In Europe there are age group competitions for both males and females under 18 years of age. In most other regions, however, junior girls are fast-tracked into women’s competitions; for example, the Japanese Shinsumo Championships includes girls of 15 or 16 in the adult women’s divisions. At the international level, only boys under 18 are catered for at the Junior World Sumo Championships, and indications from the IFS are that this is likely to remain for the next couple of years at least. This year’s junior competition will be held in Estonia in late August, the first time that the tournament has been held outside Japan since its inauguration in 1999. A week after the junior tournament in Estonia, the adult European Championships will be held in Germany and, in mid-October, the World Sumo Championships are scheduled in Osaka as they were last year.
For the remainder of this year, Amateur Angles will cover all of these major tournaments as well as issues confronting amateur sumo and the sport’s future. Of the latter, the most obvious is the emergence of the World Sumo League**, a series of sumo tournaments scheduled
I hope you will join me again in August.
Home
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* – According to sources at differing levels of the Japanese government, sumo is not an officially permitted sporting activity at primary / elementary schools due to its association with the Shinto religion and the current sensitivity over religious practice of any form playing a part in compulsory, public school education.
** – At the time of the issuance of SFM Issue#7, it appears the WSL is floundering if, indeed, it is still in existence. Issue#8 of SFM will look into exactly what happened or is still happening with the WSL in more detail.
** – At the time of the issuance of SFM Issue#7, it appears the WSL is floundering if, indeed, it is still in existence. Issue#8 of SFM will look into exactly what happened or is still happening with the WSL in more detail.