According to Richard Quest, business analyst-cum-opinionated-newscaster on CNN, the definition of a camel is “a horse built by a committee”.

Quest is obviously an expert on amateur sumo and may thus enjoy reporting on the sport at this level for no other quasi-metaphor other than  ‘camel’ would better describe the organization and management of the 14th Sumo World Sumo Championships & 5th Shinsumo World Championships held in Sakai City on October 15th.

In preparing to make the trek to Osaka to represent SFM at the last event to be held in Japan until at least 2009, the first annoyance was having to ignore the “minor” hiccups, with the International Sumo Federation forgetting to notify the English language media of the pre-event press conference (held in Osaka when all major media organizations and even the ISF are based in Tokyo), as well as their not bothering to answer questions already previously sent in by mail. Not exactly a shock after dealing with the ISF for some time now, but things weren’t looking too rosy from the get-go and we were still a full week before the commencement of the event proper!

BUT - we were just warming up!

The Friday evening before the event saw the current head of Dutch Sumo and General Secretary of the European Sumo Union (ESU), Stephen Gadd, ejected from one of the athlete’s hotels for reasons still “officially” undetermined, but essentially, as a result of having been banned from attending the SWC along with ESU President Gunther Romenath. Romenath was not seen and presumably didn’t make the trip.

Both Gadd and Romenath are known to have participated in the failed 2006 World Sumo League in the USA - captured on video working as referees, nonetheless - in what was/is a non-ISF sanctioned event.

The following day, as the weigh-ins for each weight class were taking place and some rikishi were getting in last minute practice sessions, a number of participants - the men and women who make amateur sumo work - could be seen wandering the streets of Sakai looking rather confused. Timings, locations of meetings and protocol to follow, once in meetings, were all subjects put to SFM’s man on the spot as, yet again, nothing appeared to be forthcoming from the organizers.

As the unseasonably warm day wore on, the tension could be felt rising and the air over the city could almost be cut with a knife. But then, things came to a peak at the main get together and Welcoming Dinner on the Saturday evening.

Picture the scene – as I must, as the press, oddly enough, were not permitted access – representatives of nations from across the globe, sat shoulder to shoulder, side by side; in alphabetical order. The pleasantries were done away with, then, according to half a dozen SFM sources of varying nationalities inside the meeting hall, pandemonium prevailed.

Seeming like angry children, European allies known to be in the corner of the banned and absent Gadd of Holland and Romenath of Germany (Austria, Germany and Finland), stood, disrupting the proceedings, looking for answers to an issue that has been simmering for much of 2006:  “Why can’t we (Europeans) earn a crust from the sport? You Japanese have a shot at the big leagues – we don’t!”.

Ironically, in making the claims, those standing were calling for others to stand in support; a claim that fell on deaf ears in the case of Ireland, victims of a complete lack of ESU support in their months of jumping through hoops to be permitted to join the ISF. 

As it were, with the Europeans still looking for answers, the ISF president, Hidetoshi Tanaka, is said to have ignored the questions raised and then left the room. A short time later, he was seen getting into a waiting car for the short drive back to his hotel – his office staff standing on the pavement, bowing and waving.

The following day, Sunday, the sun rose on a beautiful day over Sakai and although certain whispered conversations referring to the previous evening’s fracas were taking place in and around the purpose built Ohama Sumo stadium near the Port of Sakai, mild manners seemingly reigned throughout.

Attention turned, as it should have, to sumo and the men and women from around the world who had made the financial and physical effort to be here to take part in the climax of their sumo calendar year. And so it must, unequivocally, be stated that the vast majority deserve a stiff pat on the back for what they brought to Sakai that day.

Most would return home to a life of relative anonymity and countless hours of sumo practice after the tournament, as many of the Japanese class of 2006 move up to Ozumo.

 “There is a time and a place” said two national heads when considering this probability of “cake for the locals and none for the guests” on the one hand, and the ESU disrupting meetings on the other.

In the press pack, China and Ireland were listed as first time attendees, but a chat later in the day with the Israel Sumo Federation President, also indicated his nation to be represented for the first time in its history. A nation called United state of america (sic) was also listed in the programme!

On the day, no nation epitomized the true spirit of sport - any sport - quite like Ireland, represented by Sumo Ireland President Colin Carroll and Chairman Graham Little, and with a small following of Irish folk dwelling in Nippon. Carroll was shadowed throughout the day by event coach and friend Little, and was seen doing the rounds of the English-speaking friends he had made over the previous days, in search of info on his first round opponent – (then) current world champion Vitaliy Tikhenko of Ukraine.

Loaded with advice, he later went to his first-ever truly competitive fight as Ireland’s premier representative of the sport, but a split second after sticking his head into the fray in search of the good, forward moving fight, he was in mid-air. Henka’d! Henka’d by Tikhenko! Henka’d by the world champion!

In his second bout, he went pretty much the way of the first and was officially out – but far from down – his “air” time had just begun.

Carroll was also followed all weekend, and throughout his stay in Japan, by a TV crew from Ulster and even a Reuter’s photographer, at times. He was undoubtedly one of the true stars of the show, results notwithstanding, and as Ireland’s first ever amateur to compete at such a level, will be one to look for, along with Little, come the 2007 event in Switzerland. Both plan to be there with a team currently training in Ireland.

The day featured a hundred other examples of amateur rikishi participating in the sport for all the right reasons, reasons that don’t need to be explained on paper or computer screens and sound the same in any language. The fact is  that amateur sumo today can regrettably be defined by two “P”s – People and Politics. One without the other would be ideal but far less fun and far less camel-like.

For those looking to get into amateur sumo choose which “P” interests you and jump right on in.

A few bits of trivia / observations from the championships – jumbled, and in no particular order, to please the camels reading this:

Sakai, host city of the SWC is the 15th largest city in Japan and is supposedly known as the Venice of the East. Whether the people of the Venice of the West know about this comparison is uncertain.

The Japanese team or individual participants were often seen visiting the table of ISF president Hidetoshi and Mrs. Tanaka, bowing enough to give them a serious back ache and then walking away almost crablike – never turning their back – an event that raised several inexperienced eyebrows.

As was the case in 2005, the opening ceremony, for reasons presumably known only to camels, was held at 1pm, halfway through the day and a full 4 hours after the event was declared open! Go figure.

A famous Russian (his own term) – Roho, of Ozumo fame - was seen visiting and causing something of a stir. When asked by SFM why he had made the trek from Tokyo though, he gave the rather bland answer that he was there to “support my country and my fellow Russians.” Little did he know how much that phrase would mean to some on certain sumo forums.
 
The English-language side of things was announced in large part by the ever-approachable Katrina Watts – former NHK commentator and renowned sumo expert.

No South Africans made the trip to Japan this time, perhaps as a result of the death of last year’s heavyweight rikishi Deon Britz – at the ridiculously young age of 32.

The British heavyweight rikishi had obviously undergone the same limited training as last year’s lightweight of the same nationality and thought that scowling would see him through. It didn’t, he flopped, and all British men’s efforts over the past fifteen years were thrown face down into the sand by one of their women, who claimed a silver in her first ever tournament - the nation’s first.

The same British lass was recorded in her moment of glory by the cameramen of the United Kingdom’s Channel Four TV and will appear on TV screens in the UK sometime after Christmas, according to the film crew.

The Japanese rikishi, en-masse, must have had a quiet speaking to as their tachiai timing was far better this year than last. Not perfect, but no real grumbles were heard in the crowd this time out about going ahead of the gun.

The Swiss team – next hosts of the SWC - didn’t compete, so presumably the passing of the flag was achieved by way of Japan Post and lots of stamps.

26-year-old Hanah Weerkamp of Holland, a primary school teacher by day, had a good tournament and picked up a third consecutive medal in the women’s middleweight competition. A very popular girl, Hanah was one tough cookie to pin down for an interview, but her interview is now available here.

The Israeli trip to the championships was 100% funded by their president, Eldad Ben-Horin, owner of a martial arts academy in Israel and a nice bloke, to boot.

Tonga, when asked about attending 2007 in Switzerland and traveling to the opposite side of the planet, brought up a common theme – finances and the desire to see the ISF contribute more along such lines.

Many rikishi had no real idea of what was going on in the days leading up to the 15th, and the lone Georgian competitor, Tedo Rtveliashvili, was essentially taken under the wing of SFM-ers Howard Gilbert (also coach of New Zealand), Carolyn Todd, and yours truly as well as the almost legendary (in the land of amasumo) TV talent and captain of the Tokyo University Sumo team – Petr Matous of the Czech Republic. No Georgian-speaking assistants were provided by the ISF and the poor lad sat alone most of the day, struggling with limited Russian and a kind old Japanese man trying to help.

The same Georgian youngster twice spoke to (Georgian) Tochinoshin of Kasugano beya – by way of SFMs in-house mobile phone - and is apparently considering a move into Ozumo. Unfortunately, he lost his only scheduled bout.

Channel Four (UK) and Ulster TV (Ireland) weren’t the only TV types to turn up, as several foreign crews were there – including a trio (American / Bulgarian / Scottish) covering the Bulgarian team as part of a project for a master’s degree from Edinburgh University in Scotland. When the film makes it online, you’ll hear about it here.

The gentle giant Andrew Perenara of New Zealand had his Maori flag out on the railings at the back of the stadium – and succeeded in pinning me down for a while with a history lecture.

Hong Kong had a large contingent following the famous 2005 bout between the delightfully named Angel Mak (then 55kg, 122 lbs) interviewed here: and Hungarian Anna Josef (168kg, 370 lbs). Look for Mak and the rest of Hong Kong to be taking sumo to the masses on the small islands at the southern tip of China, as Switzerland looks to be not an option for them.

Mongolians were there in force and far more vocal and reserved than last year. Kyokushuzan of Oshima-beya was not seen this time.

Ozumo’s makushita rikishi Kazafuzan was there – supporting Kazakhstan, naturally – due to the efforts of Katrina Watts and the graciousness and generosity of Nishikido oyakata, the former “Salt Shaker” Mitoizumi.

Shikoroyama oyakata (former sekiwake Terao) spent about an hour or so discreetly at the rear of the stadium with a couple of aides – scouting?

The Estonian Sumo Association, in prepping for 2008 are reportedly  building a new sumo arena, pool etc and will focus on Rakvere, but perhaps expand into Tallinn.

An ‘International Sumo Fan Club’ is being established by two Estonian women based in Norway  - one of whom is a former competitor who fought at the Akita games several years ago. Keep scouring the Internet for info on this.

According to sources therein, 2007 will see the ISF lose the services of office clerk Tamaki Nishida, a name almost synonymous with amateur sumo for the better part of a decade. 

When all is said and done – of 85 registered member nations, well under half – 37 - bothered to come to the event. This is a major point for the ISF to think about in its next bid for IOC status.

Horses are far less gangly and awkward than camels. Better to look at, too. But even better is our Sakai Bonanza..Enjoy the sights!

 

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