Why is a sumo tournament being held in London? | BBC News
Finally, more than 40 of Sumo Wrestling’s biggest stars are in London for a prestigious tournament beginning today. It is the only the second time that a full 5-day professional sumo competition has been held outside the sports homeland in Japan. The wrestlers will compete to be crowned the grand champion. Well, Tim Muffet has more. strength, power, tradition, and spirituality. There’s no sport quite like sumo wrestling. Its origins go back more than 1,500 years. And for the first time since 1991, an official tournament is about to take place in the UK in London’s Royal Albert Hall. In the world of sumo, this is big news. Grand Sumo tournament in London. What’s it like being in the UK ahead of this historic sumo event? I saw the ring and I’m my heart is pounding. Um I hope the audiences will enjoy uh the sumo. So, I came here today and I’m very moved by what they built here. So, I’m very looking forward to it. Hosu and Honosato have both reached Suma Wrestling’s highest level, Yokozumi. There’ll be more than 40 wrestlers taking part at the Royal Albert Hall, but these two are the favorites, and they fought many times before. This morning, the ring was consecrated in a Shinto ceremony. It’s 34 years since Sumo last came to London. Some people think Terra is slowing down, but it doesn’t look like it here in London. Look at him. It was hugely popular, and just like them, the Royal Albert Hall has been undergoing a major transformation. What we’re trying to do here is to really show the history and ritual and heritage that Sumo encapsulates. And have you had to get in extra food? Yes, we have. We have a a chef, Chef Naomi, who’s been brought in especially, and we’ve worked with with the hotel to prepare all of their meals and exactly what the wrestlers will eat. I think we’re getting through 70 kg of rice every day. The the wholesaler of noodles has run out. There are no weight categories in Sumo, so being heavier can give you an advantage. How hard is it to maintain the the shape and the size you need in order to be a an elite wrestler. So, I was actually a skinny person before, so eating was actually part of my training. I had to really push myself and eat until I felt really sick and then eat some more on top of that. It’s been 34 years since the last sumo tournament was held in London, and I wasn’t even born back then. So, I would like for the UK fans and the European fans uh to have as much fun as possible watching our game. See you in London. See you in London. See you in London.
More than 40 of sumo wrestling biggest stars are in London for a prestigious tournament.
The Grand Sumo Tournament is taking place outside of Japan for just the second time, with the competition taking place in London’s Royal Albert Hall from 15 October until 19 October.
Sumo has seen a significant rise in popularity among international fans in recent years, and a rare international tournament abroad is hoped to further boost the appeal of Japanese culture abroad.
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