Stars of sumo head to London's Royal Albert Hall with focus on yokozuna Hoshoryu Tomokatsu and Onosato Daiki

Sumo wrestling is returning to London's Royal Albert Hall for a five-day tournament, marking only the second time a Grand Tournament has been held outside of Japan and the first time in 34 years that the venue has hosted such an event. Tickets for all five days sold out immediately due to high demand. The main focus of the tournament is on the two current Grand Champions, known as yokozuna. These are Hoshoryu Tomokatsu from Mongolia and Onosato Daiki from Japan. Onosato achieved the rank of yokozuna this year, becoming the fastest wrestler to do so in modern history. He and Hoshoryu are already significant rivals, having finished with identical records at the recent Aki Basho tournament, which led to a playoff between them for the first time in 16 years, with Onosato emerging victorious. Both wrestlers expressed their excitement about performing in London and showcasing the sport to a new audience, with Hoshoryu also mentioning his personal connection to the yokozuna title through his uncle. The article also provides insight into the rigorous lifestyle of sumo wrestlers, or rikishi. They live in communal stables and begin their day with early morning practice sessions, skipping breakfast. They then consume a hearty stew called chankonabe, packed with meat and vegetables, as ... download the app to read more