Published on : 27/09/2021 – 14:08Modified : 27/09/2021 – 14:06
The most caped wrestler in sumo history Hakuho retires at the age of 36. Of Mongolian origin, he dominated this Japanese national sport par excellence for twenty years, winning the greatest number of tournaments and fights. A domination on the part of Hakuho and other wrestlers of Mongolian descent which sometimes aroused criticism from Japanese fans.
Tokyo (AFP)
In the arena, facing his opponent, Hakuho had the reputation of being a proud hand, celebrating his victories with gestures of triumph, protesting when he happened to lose a fight, reports our correspondent in Tokyo, Frederick Charles. The 36-year-old yokozuna – sumo’s most prestigious rank – of Mongolian origin, reigned supreme in the sport, having notably won a record 45 tournaments during his career. Only one record will have escaped him: that of the greatest series of victorious fights. He was criticized like other Mongolian wrestlers for not grasping the intricacies of sumo, a practice linked to Shinto, the first religion of Japan.
Caught up in injuries, his participation in competitions had become rarer in recent years. However, he had won the tournament in July this year without suffering a single loss. But due to a case of coronavirus in the “heya” (brotherhood) to which he belongs, Hakuho was prevented from competing in the Tokyo autumn tournament which ended on Sunday, reports Agence France-Presse. ” I learned from the president of the Japanese Sumo Association (AJS) that Hakuho had forwarded the documents ending his career », Announced Monday, September 27 during a press conference Hironori Yano, the president of the Council of deliberation of the yokozuna, an organ close to the AJS. He is said to have decided to throw in the towel because of persistent pain in his right knee, according to local media.
1.92 meters for 158 kilos
Near Kokugikan, the venue for sumo tournaments in eastern Tokyo, residents on Monday praised his exceptional career. “ He missed a lot of fights because of injuries (…), he was in physical pain and he’s already over 30 years old. He worked very hard Miyako Arai, 46, told AFP. ” I want to tell him: “well done, excellent job”. He came to Japan, became a sumo and a yokozuna, that’s no small accomplishment », Reacted Takashi Sakai, 76 years old. “ He was also the target of jealousy on the part of some Japanese. He was stronger than Japanese wrestlers “, he added.
Hakuho first climbed the “dohyo”, the clay platform where the fighting takes place, in 2001, shortly after arriving from Mongolia, at age 15, then pale and skinny as described in his autobiography, reaching the supreme rank of yokozuna in 2007. He has meanwhile become a giant of 1.92 meters for 158 kilos.
His bitter rivalry with his compatriot Asashoryu had fascinated fans in the late 2000s. But subsequently Hakuho’s dominance in the absence of serious rivals, the lack of Japanese champions and a series of scandals in the sumo world had taken hold. seriously damaged interest in sport.
The only active yokozuna after Kakuryu retired in March, Hakuho was joined at that rank in July by another Mongolian, Terunofuji, who became a Japanese citizen last month. Hakuho acquired Japanese citizenship in 2019, a prerequisite for remaining in the sumo world and opening his own heya, where he can focus on training the young talents he began to find several years ago.
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