A 21-year-old Ukrainian sumo wrestler who fled the Russian invasion has received an elite-level sumo competition in Japan, the place he’s been lauded for his speedy rise in the hyper-competitive sport.
Yavhusishyn Danylo, recognized by his ring identify Aonishiki, emerged victorious from the November Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, in response to nationwide broadcaster NHK. In the deciding match, he defeated Mongolia-born Hoshoryu, a top-ranked wrestler.
“It’s a feeling that words can’t express,” Aonishiki mentioned after his win, according to NHK. “It felt like I was just letting my body do its thing, using my own strength. I’ve been diligently doing what my master told me, and it led to this result.”
His win caps a meteoric rise inside the sport, dictated by ritual and custom, in the three years because the 21-year-old arrived in Japan as war ravaged his house nation.
He had began with wrestling and judo as a toddler in Ukraine, the place martial arts have lengthy been in style; the nation boasts a protracted record of Olympic medal-winning wrestlers. At seven years previous, he switched to sumo after seeing sumo athletes coaching at his judo facility, in response to NCS affiliate Asahi Shimbun.
He rapidly demonstrated a expertise for the game, putting third on the junior world sumo championships in Japan at simply 15 years previous – which is the place he befriended Japanese sumo wrestler Arata Yamanaka.
Then, that each one shuddered to a halt in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Wrestling amenities had been destroyed, and athletes and their households fled overseas – together with Aonishiki, whose household moved to Germany.
“I thought it would be a shame to end my sports career there,” Aonishiki instructed NHK in a documentary about his journey that aired in July. “I liked sumo, I felt I should try to compete in sumo somehow on the path I’d chosen.”
So, at 18 years previous, he got here alone to Japan – the place his buddy Yamanaka, on the time captain of the sumo membership at Kansai University, provided to deal with Aonishiki at his household house and organized for the Ukrainian to coach on the college membership.
His ring identify interprets to “blue” – one of many colours of the Ukrainian flag.
Aonishiki started rebuilding his profession in a brand new nation and a brand new language. Soon, he turned fluent in Japanese and climbed the ranks at report velocity – defeating his fellow college wrestlers regardless of not being the biggest or heaviest (at solely 140 kilograms, or 308 kilos – decrease than common for top-division sumo wrestlers).
He ultimately joined the Tokyo-based Ajigawa steady to dwell, prepare and compete professionally. By Sunday’s match, he had reached the third-highest rank of Sekiwake after competing in simply 13 tournaments, a report tempo in a sport the place rankings typically fluctuate, and wrestlers may be promoted or demoted relying on their competition efficiency.
After Aonishiki’s win on Sunday, the nationwide sumo governing physique held a rare assembly to debate his potential promotion to the second-highest title of Ozeki, in response to NHK.
But the Ukrainian wrestler desires to go one higher. “There’s one more rank above this, so I want to aim for that,” he mentioned, together with his eyes firmly on the top title of Yokozuna.