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Kakurai (left) attacks fiercely with a sharp tachi-ai against Koki (Photo by Masato Suzuki)
At the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament’s second day on May 11 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Kakurai (22, belonging to Kaminarimon stable), who entered as the lowest-ranked makushita tsukedashi, failed to secure a victory in his debut match. Despite leveraging his imposing 190 cm, 163 kg physique to charge strongly from the tachi-ai and push his opponent to the edge of the ring, he was thrown by Koki in a utchari reversal.
Reflecting on his first bout, Kakurai said, “I wasn’t nervous… but I couldn’t win. My finishing was too soft. I felt like I had it, but… it’s disappointing.” He had studied ring etiquette and techniques leading up to the match, and his mentor, Oyakata Kaminarimon (former komusubi Kakegashi), advised him, “Just do what you always do.” Yet the result didn’t follow.
Kakurai was a runner-up in the adult individual sumo category at last year’s National Sports Festival and joined the professional ranks from Nippon Sport Science University. He was born and raised in Kawasaki City to Filipino parents. Although he had stepped onto the dohyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan during his student days, he remarked, “It was completely different. It really hit me that I’ve now entered the world of professional sumo.”
His senior by three years at Nippon Sport Science University, Yokozuna Onosato, also lost his debut match in the 2023 Summer Tournament. For Kakurai, the frustration of this day marks the first step toward climbing the ranks of the sumo world. “Today’s loss was a lesson. I’ll reflect on it and keep working hard,” he said, looking ahead.
