First Women's Sumo 'Dream Girls Cup' Held in Tokyo

Feb 12, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The first-ever "Dream Girls Cup," a women's sumo tournament supported by former yokozuna Hakuho's Miyagino stablemaster, was held in Tokyo, stirring excitement with participants from the earthquake-stricken area of Ishikawa Prefecture on the Noto Peninsula.

The event, aimed at promoting women's sumo, gathered about 200 participants from elementary to high school students nationwide at a venue in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. Among them was Yuna Fujishima, a ninth-grader from Shika Town in Ishikawa Prefecture, which experienced a seismic intensity of 7 during the Noto Peninsula earthquake. Despite her home suffering from water outages due to the earthquake, Fujishima declared before the match, "Thanks to the support from our community, I was able to continue sumo wrestling. I want to deliver courage and smiles." She lived up to her oath by showing strong sumo, pushing forward and grabbing her opponent's belt, which led her to become the runner-up in the junior school heavyweight division.

Miyagino stablemaster, the former yokozuna Hakuho, was involved in the tournament as a supporting cheerleader, closely observing the bouts and applauding the athletes. He expressed his admiration for the event, saying, "The sumo was as powerful as that of the men. I don't think there has ever been a national tournament for women like this. I would like to continue it every year."

Source: NHK

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