Sumo: Kotozakura bids to get back on track by focusing on basics
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 19:39 | Sports, All
Ozeki Kotozakura resumed wrestling practice Friday in preparation for next month's Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, emphasizing a back-to-basics approach as he seeks to overcome a run of lackluster results.
The 27-year-old has been devoting time to "shiko" stomping exercises and footwork drills since the May tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan arena, where he scraped together a winning record of 8-7.
"If you ask me what's needed, I think the basics come first," Kotozakura said.
The sparring session at his Sadogatake stable in the city of Matsudo, in his native Chiba Prefecture, was a chance to apply the recent strength and agility training against opponents in the ring.
"I'm doing it through trial and error," he said.
Kotozakura took part in the rope-tying ceremony for newly promoted yokozuna grand champion Onosato at the end of last month. He acknowledged his frustration at being surpassed by the younger star, but did not elaborate further.
"I can't really say anything about it," he said. "You can imagine my feelings."
Having also gone 8-7 in March and compiled a forgettable 5-10 record in January, Kotozakura has not achieved a double-digit win total since lifting the Emperor's Cup last November.
He will aim for a record worthy of his rank, and potentially take a step toward yokozuna promotion, at the first grand tournament to be held at Nagoya's new IG Arena from July 13.
Related coverage:
Sumo great Hakuho plans to promote sport from outside ruling body
Sumo: Newly built IG Arena readying for big opening with Nagoya meet
Sumo: Onosato performs ring entry ceremony at Meiji Jingu shrine
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Kyodo News
3-time figure skating world champ Kaori Sakamoto to retire after Olympics
KYODO NEWS - 6 minutes ago - 13:56 | Sports, All Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto, winner of three consecutive world championships through 2024, said Friday she will retire from competition after next year's Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The 25-year-old, who claimed women's singles bronze at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, finished second at the world championships in Boston in March. Sakamoto revealed her plan at the opening ceremony for a new skating rink in her home city of Kobe in western Japan. "I feel like I have less than a year left," she said. "I'll be 29 at the following Olympics (in 2030), which is out of the question. I'll try to bring things to a close the year I turn 26." Sakamoto made her Olympic debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She won her fourth straight Japanese championship, and fifth overall, last December. Related coverage: Figure skating: Retired star Mao Asada to open coaching academy Figure skating: Teen star Nishino signals big future with quad jumps FEATURE: Cool moves at any age: Japan's figure skating scene grows up
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Kyodo News
3-time figure skating world champ Kaori Sakamoto to retire after Olympics
KYODO NEWS - 13 minutes ago - 13:17 | Sports, All Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto, winner of three consecutive world championships through 2024, said Friday she will retire from competition after next year's Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The 25-year-old, who claimed women's singles bronze at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, finished second at the world championships in Boston in March. Related coverage: Figure skating: Retired star Mao Asada to open coaching academy Figure skating: Teen star Nishino signals big future with quad jumps FEATURE: Cool moves at any age: Japan's figure skating scene grows up
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- The Mainichi
Football: Kisnorbo leaves bottom club Marinos after 2 months at helm
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- J-League first-division bottom club Yokohama F Marinos announced the departure of Patrick Kisnorbo on Thursday after two months in charge. Marinos, one of only two clubs along with Kashima Antlers never to be relegated out of the original 10 J-League members in 1993, sit six points off safety midway through this year's J1 campaign. Head coach Hideo Oshima is in interim charge with the new manager yet to be decided. Former head coach Kisnorbo initially took charge of Marinos on an interim basis on April 18 following the sacking of Steve Holland, a former England assistant manager who won just one of the club's opening 11 league games. Marinos' struggles continued after Kisnorbo was promoted in May, losing the first six games across all competitions under the 44-year-old Australian including a 4-1 defeat against Al Nassr in the Asian Champions League Elite quarterfinals. After two league wins, Marinos exited the Emperor's Cup in the second round on June 11 with a 2-0 home defeat to fourth-tier Rein Meer Aomori, followed by a damaging 1-0 loss on Sunday away to fellow J1 strugglers Albirex Niigata.
