Sumo is flourishing in Bulgaria
Reuters on how the success of Bulgarian sumo wrestler Kotooshu in Japan has made sumo a very popular sport in his mother country:
“There’s an enormous interest in sumo among teenagers,“ added Petar Stoyanov, the man known as The Chief in Bulgaria. “Last month, I went to see a youth tournament with 137 competitors, most of them aged between 14 and 16.
“Naturally, they became enthusiastic about our sport after the success of Kotooshu and the remaining top wrestlers but that’s not all.
“They’re attracted by sumo because it’s a very fair sport. There are no controversial referee’s decisions and everything is decided in the ring.“
[...]
“It’s not so difficult if you begin to train when you’re a kid,“ he said. “You get used to the strict regime and then you’ll be a disciplined man, a man who has learned to observe the rules and who respects the hierarchy.“
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov came Japan last week to kick off a “Year of Japan-Danube Friendship.” During the visit, he attended a sumo tournament, where he was able to see Kotooshu in action.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian press reports that Kotooshu has thrown his support behind a sister city project that plans to build a replica of a medieval Bulgarian fortress in Kyoto.
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