The Ukraine-born grappler who has taken the sumo world by storm is now in deep training for a historic run at the highest prize in Japan’s national sport.
Aonishiki, whose sumo name means “blue brocade” in honour of the Ukrainian flag, has rocketed through sumo’s \u2060ranks at record speed.
The 21-year-old is coming off two-straight grand tournament wins and has already achieved the sport’s second-highest status as an ozeki champion.
A win at the spring tournament in Osaka next month would make him eligible for promotion to yokozuna, an exalted grand champion status that has been achieved by just 75 men in the sport’s history.
Aonisshiki said “I wake up every day wanting to get stronger, wanting to climb another \u2060rank higher.”
Born Danylo Yavhusishyn, the future star was preparing to enter university in Ukraine when Russia invaded in February 2022, prompting the amateur wrestler and sumo enthusiast to leave his homeland.
A friend from his sumo circle \u2060took him into his home in Kobe in western Japan and the young Ukrainian began training in earnest in the sport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Ukraine-born grappler who has taken the sumo world by storm is now in deep training for a historic run at the highest prize in Japan’s national sport.Aonishiki, whose sumo name means “blue brocade” in honour of the Ukrainian flag, has rocketed through sumo’s \u2060ranks at record speed.The 21-year-old is coming off two-straight grand tournament […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n