(4 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTIONS:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
London – 4 December 2024
1. Various of Sumo wrestlers Kitanowaka Daisuke (left) and Fukutsuumi Akira (right) putting on demonstration
2. Various of Daisuke preparing for the demonstration
3. SOUNDBITE (English) James Ainscough, Royal Albert Hall chief executive:
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“It’s really exciting. The first time it came in ‘91, it was the first ever Basho outside Japan and now it’s coming back, 34 years later, it will be the second official Basho outside Japan. So it’s a real honor to have them and it’s such a different culture. The tradition and the ritual in sumo as well as the sport itself, there’s a huge amount for us to learn from it and to experience and to inspire us and to challenge us to think differently. So can’t wait to have it here.”
4. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Kitanowaka Daisuke, professional Sumo wrestler:
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“So it is an international exchange with the people in the UK, but also the people who come to see our event. So it is an opportunity for me to introduce Sumo and to attract and win the popularity of Sumo towards the public who will attend the events at the Royal Albert Hall.”
5. Auditorium at the Royal Albert Hall
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Hiroshi Suzuki, Japanese ambassador to the UK:
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“Sumo is more than just a sport. It is a synthesis of Japanese culture and tradition. With over 1,000 years of history, Sumo showcases the strength, skill, concentration and discipline of the wrestlers, making it the national sport of Japan. So I hope that many people will feel the unique charm of Sumo, its blend of mental and physical power.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: London – 9 October 1991
7. Various STILLS from the first day of the first official Sumo tournament to be held outside of Japan, also at the Royal Albert Hall
ASSOCIATED PRESS
London – 4 December 2024
8. STILLS of wrestlers posing for a photo call outside Royal Albert Hall
STORYLINE:
Sumo wrestling will return to London for the first time in 34 years in 2025 as the historic Royal Albert Hall hosts a Grand Sumo Tournament next October – just the second official event to be hosted outside of Japan in the sport’s 1500-year history.
The Victorian concert venue was built in 1871 and has witnessed performances from the likes of Muhammad Ali, The Beatles and Adele in its storied history – but also hosted the first-ever official sumo tournament to be held outside Japan in 1991.
It is the first five-day basho outside Japan since that tournament, which was won by the current Chairman of Sumo Kyokai, the Japan Sumo Association, Hakkaku Rijicho, who was in London to promote the event on Wednesday.
Each evening will feature traditional ceremonial events including a dohyō-iri ring entrance ceremony and approximately twenty bouts of Sumo wrestling from over forty Makuuchi rikishi (wrestlers), from Japan’s top level Sumo division.
A champion will crowned at the end of the five-day tournament between October 15th and 19th, which is so rarely taken abroad due to the specific hosting requirements.
A variety of factors, including a series of sumo wrestling scandals, the financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, delayed the sport’s return to London. But organizers believe the time is right because sumo is having a bit of a moment.
The 1991 event was broadcast live to millions across the UK as part of the Japan Festival and witnessed in person by sold-out crowds, who paid up to 100 GBP for a ticket, around 227 GBP today (288 USD).
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News post in December 9, 2024, 9:05 pm.
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