Ōnokatsu Kazuhiro

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Ōnokatsu Kazuhiro
阿武剋 一弘
Personal information
BornBatjargal Choijilsüren
(2000-05-05) 5 May 2000 (age 24)
Uvs Province, Mongolia
Height1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Weight160 kg (350 lb; 25 st 3 lb)
Career
StableŌnomatsu
UniversityNippon Sport Science University
Current ranksee below
DebutNovember 2023
Highest rankMaegashira 14 (September, 2024)
* Up to date as of 25 August 2024.

Ōnokatsu Kazuhiro (Japanese: 阿武剋 一弘, born 5 May 2000 as Batjargal Choijilsüren (Mongolian: Батжаргал Чойжилсүрэн)) is a professional sumo wrestler from Mongolia. His highest rank is maegashira 14.

Early life

Choijilsüren comes from Uvs Province, a region known as Mongolia's "wrestling capital".[1] At elementary school, he played football.[2] When he was in junior high school, he won a mathematical olympiads in his hometown.[3][4] He also practiced freestyle wrestling and bökh for only one year before coming to Japan.[5] In November 2015, he took part in an amateur sumo tournament in Ulaanbaatar and was noticed by teachers who came to scout promising talents. They then invited him to come to Japan as part of a school exchange in spring 2016.[2] At the time, he was one of the very first international students welcomed by the school.[6] By his own admission, he wasn't interested in practicing sumo, but on his father's advice he nevertheless decided to go.[5] Choijilsüren attended Niina Gakuen Asahigaoka High School in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, where he was classmate with Ōshima stable's Kyokukaiyū.[3][7]

Choijilsüren had a prolific amateur career, winning the Kantō openweight championship.[8] He also helped his team to second place in the national high school team competition, a first for a Kanagawa school.[6] At the end of high school, he decided to become a professional and joined the Nippon Sport Science University. There, he was classmate with future-professional wrestlers Ōnosato and Shirokuma, and his team captain was future Asakōryū.[6][9][10][11] At this university, he won the East Japan Rookie Championship during his first year and reached the quarter-finals of the National Tournament in his second year.[8] In his third year he won the Open Weight Student Weight Class Championship.[8] In 2022, during his last competition, Choijilsüren won the hundredth edition of the National University Championship, defeating fellow Nittaidai student Daiki Nakamura.[8][12] Choijilsüren hence became a student yokozuna and was guaranted the rank of makushita tsukedashi 15 in his professional debut.[2][8] Noticed by Ōnomatsu stable, he was training in that stable since December 2022.[3][12] Since he turned professional in November 2023, Ōnokatsu was the last wrestler to be promoted to makushita tsukedashi 15 due to his amateur prowess, the system for promotion to the top of the makushita division having been abolished in September 2023.[13]

During his student days, he remembered the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing him to remain isolated in his dormitory for half a year, all training having also been cancelled by his school.[5]

Career

Early career

Logically recruited by Ōnomatsu stable, he was given the shikona, or ring name, Ōnokatsu (阿武剋); inheriting the combination of "Ōno" (阿武) in reference to his stable, combined with the kanji meaning 'to endure' or 'to overcome' (剋), inspired by the adage gekokujō. His first name is also a pseudonym, inspired by the kanji in the names of his two masters at high school and Nittaidai University.[3]

Ōnokatsu began his professional career at the November 2023 tournament, becoming the last wrestler to be able to match the record promotion to sekitori status in one tournament of Hakuōhō (then known as Ochiai) achieved at the January 2023 tournament.[14] However, he finished his first tournament with a score of 5–2, also losing his first match, missing the promotion.[15]

At the March 2024 tournament, he secured his promotion to the jūryō division, notably scoring a fourth victory over future-sekitori Nabatame [ja].[4][16] During his first tournament as a sekitori, Ōnokatsu narrowly failed to win his division's championship, ending just behind former sekiwake Wakatakakage.[17] His score of 13–2, however, propelled him to the top of the jūryō rankings.[7] His remarkable performance attracted comments about the possible emergence of a golden generation with the good performances of generation Z wrestlers (like Ōnosato or Hiradoumi).[18]

Makuuchi promotion

After a good performance in the July tournament, Ōnokatsu was promoted to makuuchi, professional sumo's top division.[19]

Fighting style

Ōnokatsu specializes in grabbing the front of his opponent's mawashi (maemitsu). The wrestler from whom he draws inspiration for his style is former yokozuna Kakuryū.[12]

Personal life

Ōnokatsu's favorite dish is curry, a preference he developed during his high school years as curry dishes were common after training. He cites the town of Odawara as a second hometown, being particularly grateful for the support of the locals.[6] The city also offered him his first keshō-mawashi when he was promoted in jūryō, the appron bearing a design of the Odawara Castle.[20] His Japanese has been described by the press as very academic.[4] His favorite song is Jidai Okure by Eigo Kawashima.[21]

Career record

Ōnokatsu Kazuhiro[22]
Year January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2023 x x x x x Makushita tsukedashi #15
5–2
 
2024 East Makushita #8
6–1
 		 West Makushita #2
5–2
 		 East Jūryō #12
13–2
 		 West Jūryō #1
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #14
–
 		 x
Record given as wins–losses–absences    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

References

  1. ^ "阿武剋、ザンバラの有望株が1敗キープで十両トップ「自分の相撲に集中」日体大で大の里と同級生【大相撲名古屋場所】" (in Japanese). Chunichi Sports. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Оюутны ёкозүна Б.Чойжилсүрэн Оономацү дэвжээнд орлоо" (in Mongolian). Zindaa. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "昨年の学生横綱チョイジルスレンのしこ名は「阿武剋」 幕下１５枚目格付け出しで今場所が初土俵…師匠「将来を背負えるように」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 6 November 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "阿武剋、勝ち越し決め新十両昇進に前進 モンゴルでの中学時代に数学オリンピック優勝の秀才" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Б.Чойжилсүрэн: Оюутнуудын аваргыг давж, аварга болно гэж дэвжээнд гарсан" (in Mongolian). Eguur. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d "新春インタビュー 十両目指し、前へ 旭丘高校相撲部出身 阿武剋". Town News (in Japanese). 1 January 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "阿武剋関らが活躍 旭丘高出身 大相撲五月場所" (in Japanese). Town News. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e "学生横綱・チョイジルスレンが阿武松部屋入り 臨時理事会で幕下15枚目格付け出し資格承認". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 26 December 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  9. ^ "元学生横綱の阿武剋が所要３場所で新十両 同級生・大の里の活躍は「悔しい」 …新十両昇進会見" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  10. ^ "十両筆頭の阿武剋が日体大の先輩・朝紅龍を破って6勝目「頼りになるキャプテンでした」思い出話も披露" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  11. ^ "【秋場所番付発表】阿武剋と白熊が新入幕！ともに日体大出身 同じ大学の同時新入幕は8年半ぶり" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "【新弟子検査】学生横綱・チョイジルスレン「早く土俵に立ちたい」幕下付け出しで九州場所デビューへ". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 4 September 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  13. ^ "幕下10枚目格と15枚目格の付け出し廃止を発表 スピード出世の最速記録更新は事実上不可能に" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  14. ^ "最後の幕下15枚目格付け出し・チョイジルスレンが「阿武剋」のしこ名で初土俵へ 初日は琴太豪と対戦" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  15. ^ "最後の幕下15枚目格付け出し・阿武剋は5勝2敗 デビュー場所を終え「また立て直していく」" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  16. ^ "新十両に阿武剋、塚原改め栃大海、風賢央の３人 再十両は千代丸…大相撲夏場所番付編成会議" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  17. ^ "十両・阿武剋が相撲教習所卒業 日体大の同級生・大の里の最速Ｖに刺激「いずれ土俵で勝負したい」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  18. ^ "「あと12番」白星足し算…モンゴル数学オリンピック王者阿武剋が日体大同期大の里追う無傷３連勝" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  19. ^ "新入幕の阿武剋「2桁白星を目指していく」 大の里には「頑張って近づき、早く対戦したい」" (in Japanese). Sankei Sports. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  20. ^ "新十両・阿武剋、化粧まわしは小田原城 地元旭丘高出身モンゴル人留学生" (in Japanese). Kanagawa Shinbun. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  21. ^ "新十両のモンゴル出身・阿武剋は日本語ペラペラ「目標は2桁」好きな歌は河島英五の『時代おくれ』" (in Japanese). Chunichi Sports. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Onokatsu Kazuhiro Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
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