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Overview of the events of 2003 in sumo
Athletic events
The following are the events in professional
sumo
during 2003.
Tournaments
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Ryogoku Kokugikan
,
Tokyo
, 12 January ? 26 January
ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank
|
winning record in bold
|
Yusho Winner
|
Haru basho
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Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
,
Osaka
, 9 March ? 23 March
ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank
|
winning record in bold
|
Yusho Winner
|
Natsu basho
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Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 May ? 25 May
ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank
|
winning record in bold
|
Yusho Winner
|
Nagoya basho
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Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
,
Nagoya
, 6 July ? 20 July
ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank
|
winning record in bold
|
Yusho Winner
|
Aki basho
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Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 7 September ? 21 September
ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank
|
winning record in bold
|
Yusho Winner
|
Kyushu basho
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Fukuoka International Centre
,
Kyushu
, 9 November ? 23 November
ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank
|
winning record in bold
|
Yusho Winner
|
News
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January
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- At the Hatsu basho in Tokyo,
Takanohana
, winner of 22 tournament championships, announces his retirement from sumo after eight years as a
yokozuna
, after suffering three defeats in the first seven days.
[1]
He had suffered many injury problems and had only recently returned from a seven tournament layoff. His fellow yokozuna
Musashimaru
sits out the whole tournament after injuring his wrist in the previous tourney. Also missing are
ozeki
Kaio
and
Chiyotaikai
, and
Tochiazuma
who drops out after five losses in a row. In their absence, ozeki
Asashoryu
wins his second successive
makuuchi
division championship, with a 14?1 record, and is promoted to yokozuna. He becomes the third foreigner, and first
Mongolian
, to reach sumo's highest rank.
Komusubi
Wakanosato
, and
maegashira
Dejima
and
Tochinonada
, are runners-up on 11?4. Wakanosato is awarded the Fighting Spirit prize along with
Korean
Kasugao
. The
juryo
division championship is won by Asashoryu's stablemate
Asasekiryu
who defeats
Buyuzan
in a playoff.
- Former komusubi
Ryogoku
inherits the
toshiyori
name of Sakaigawa from former yokozuna
Sadanoyama
, and changes the name of his stable from Nakadachi to
Sakaigawa stable
.
February
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March
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- At the Haru basho in Osaka, Chiyotaikai returns from injury to win his third top division championship with a 12?3 record.
Asashoryu
scores 10?5 in his debut tournament as a yokozuna, enough for the runner-up position alongside Kaio and maegashira
Kyokushuzan
and
Hokutoriki
. Musashimaru and Tochiazuma sit the tournament out.
Musoyama
pulls out after five losses in the first six days. Kyokushuzan's stablemate
Kyokutenho
wins the Fighting Spirit prize, and
Takamisakari
the Technique Award.
Tochisakae
wins the juryo championship. Veteran former komusubi
Daizen
retires after 22 years in sumo, as does former juryo wrestler
Susanoumi
, the heaviest Japanese rikishi ever at some 240 kg.
- At the Natsu basho in Tokyo, Asashoryu takes his first championship as a yokozuna with a 13?2 record. Kaio is runner-up on 11?4, alongside maegashira
Aminishiki
who wins the Technique Prize. Chiyotaikai finishes on 10?5. Mus?yama returns to preserve his ?zeki rank with an 8?7 record. He had been denied
kosho seido
status, with the
Japan Sumo Association
feeling that the system was being abused with Kai? and Chiyotaikai both sitting out in January despite reportedly being fit enough to compete. Kyokushuzan wins the Outstanding Performance prize for his victory over Asashoryu, his first in six attempts. Kyokutenho receives the Fighting Spirit prize for the second tournament in a row, for his fine 10?5 score at komusubi, and is promoted to
sekiwake
for the first time.
Tamakasuga
wins the juryo championship and returns to the top division. Former sekiwake
Akinoshima
, who has been ranked continuously in makuuchi since July 1988 and is the last top division wrestler from the
Sh?wa era
still active in sumo, retires at the age of 36 after a 6?9 score relegates him to juryo.
- 31: The
danpatsu-shiki
or retirement ceremony of popular former sekiwake
Terao
is held at the Kokugikan.
June
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- 1: Takanohana's retirement ceremony takes place at the Kokugikan. He performs the yokozuna
dohyo-iri
or ring entering ceremony for the last time, and his hair is cut by his uncle
Wakanohana Kanji I
, his brother
Wakanohana Masaru
, and finally his father
Takanohana Kenshi
. The event is broadcast live on Japanese television.
July
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- At the Nagoya basho, Kaio wins his fourth top division championship with a 12?3 record after defeating fellow ozeki Chiyotaikai on the final day. Chiyotaikai finishes runner-up on 11?4. Musashimaru returns for the first time since November 2002 but drops out once again with a recurrence of his wrist problem. Asashoryu also withdraws through injury. He had been disqualified from a bout earlier in the tournament after pulling on the
chonmage
of Mongolian rival Kyokushuzan, the first yokozuna ever to suffer a disqualification.
[2]
The two wrestlers scuffle in the bathroom after the match, and Asashoryu also breaks the wing mirror of Kyokushuzan's car.
[3]
Takamisakari
, who had defeated both yokozuna, receives his first Outstanding Performance awarded
Tokitsuumi
receives his third Technique Prize. The juryo division championship is won by
Kakizoe
.
September
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- The Sumo Association chairman
Kitanoumi
holds a press conference and confirms the abolition of the
kosho seido
(public injury) system after the November 2003 tournament, and increasing the number of
sekitori
from January 2004 (42 from 40 in
makuuchi
and 28 from 26 in
juryo
). In the last year, 10 top division wrestlers and 11
juryo
wrestlers received the status, the most ever, and the Sumo Association feels it was getting out of hand. In addition,
Mus?yama
was refused
kosho
status after his injury in the March tournament was deemed to be an old shoulder injury, and yet still competed in May and got eight wins.
- At the Aki basho in Tokyo, Asashoryu wins his second championship as a yokozuna, third of the year, and fourth overall, with a 13?2 record. He finishes two wins ahead on a trio of wrestlers on 11?4: Chiyotaikai, sekiwake Wakanosato and maegashira
Iwakiyama
. Kaio, who had been told a 15?0 score was necessary for yokozuna promotion, can only manage 7?8. Musashimaru sits the tournament out. Wakanosato receives the Outstanding performance Award while Iwakiyama wins the Technique prize and Kyokutenho and Takamisakari share the Fighting spirit prize.
Takekaze
wins the juryo championship.
November
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- Former yokozuna
Akebono
announces he is leaving his oyakata position to become a
K-1
fighter.
- At the Kyushu basho, Musashimaru retires after his second attempted comeback ends in failure, losing four matches in the first seven days.
[4]
He is the last wrestler from
Hawaii
in sumo, a legacy that began with
Takamiyama
in 1964. Lower down the ranks, former maegashira
Aogiyama
and the American born
Sentoryu
also announce their retirements. Ozeki Tochiazuma wins the makuuchi championship, his second, with a score of 13?2. Asashoryu finishes in second place, one win behind, after losing to Tochiazuma on the final day. Veterans
Tochinonada
and
Tosanoumi
, with three wins over yokozuna between them in this basho, share the Outstanding Performance Prize.
Tamanoshima
wins the Fighting Spirit prize. In the juryo division
Georgian
Kokkai
wins the championship with a fine 14?1 record and becomes the first
Caucasian
to be promoted to the top division. The makushita yusho is won by veteran
Daimanazuru
, with an unbeaten 7?0 score, who earns promotion to the sekitori ranks for the first time. Runner-up on 6?1 is the 18-year-old Mongolian
Hakuho
, who is also promoted to juryo.
December
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Deaths
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- 28 April: Yamawake Oyakata, who as the former maegashira
Tochifuji
defeated Taiho in the yokozuna's final tournament in May 1971, dies aged 56.
- 17 July: Maeda Yoritaka, an apprentice at the
Kitanoumi stable
, aged 15, of
Cardiomyopathy
. He is the only sumo wrestler to have died without taking ever taking part in an official tournament.
- 17 December: Former komusubi
Fujinishiki
, also the former head of the
Takasago stable
, dies of
liver disease
aged 66. Asashoryu is criticised for not returning from Mongolia to attend his funeral.
See also
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References
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