Sumo wrestling bout at Royal Albert Hall

Article posted by Coliseum, December 13^th, 2024

Image: Royal Albert Hall, Fernando Losada Rodríguez, CC BY-SA 4.0

London’s Royal Albert Hall will host the Grand Sumo Tournament for the second time next year.

The BBC said that next October, more than 40 of Japan’s elite maku-uchi rikishi (wrestlers) will compete across five days to be crowned the tournament’s grand champion.

The Royal Albert Hall will be transformed into an authentic Sumo Temple with soil and a sand dohyō (ring) and a roof reminiscent of a Shinto shrine. Previously the Kensington venue hosted the tournament in 1991.

The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall’s opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world’s leading artists from many performance genres have appeared on its stage.

Now Sumo Wrestling will return with the combatants bringing with them the 1,500-year legacy of Sumo. Each match is a captivating spectacle, combining explosive athleticism with ceremonial splendour.

From the vibrant, hand-embroidered silk kesho-mawashi robes to the ancient salt-throwing rituals, every element is steeped in history and culture.

Who will prevail against the champion Yokozuna? Which of the 82 winning moves will be used? No one knows how the tournament (basho) will unfold, but every step, bow, and clash is a rare opportunity to experience one of the most extraordinary spectacles in sport.

The event next October will be the first time in 20 years the Tournament has been held outside Japan.

It is “very unusual and rare” for the tournament to be held outside Japan, said Donagh Collins, chief executive of promoter Askonas Holt.

The venue’s chief executive, James Ainscough, said, “There are six Tournaments each year held every two months so it took a while to be able to find a space in the Royal Albert Hall’s diary which matched up with the rhythm of when the Tournament is held.”

Japan Sumo Association chairman Hakkaku Rijicho, said, “I will be making every effort to convey to the people of London the appeal of Sumo, an ancient traditional Japanese culture, and to ensure that everyone enjoys the event to their heart’s content.”

Hakkaku, who won the 1991 tournament, added: “I look forward to meeting many of you there.”

Hiroshi Suzuki, the Japanese ambassador to the UK, described the sport as a “synthesis of Japanese culture and tradition” which was growing an international following.

Ainscough added, “The last tournament held in London 33 years ago captured the imagination of the entire country. I’m really excited to see the impact sumo can have on hearts and minds,” he added.

“We’re also hoping for great TV coverage so even if you can’t make it to London you can watch it.”

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