Ami townspeople sigh, “Ah,” after the defeat of Oinosato Seki in Nishonoseki stable = In the same town
On the 24th of Senshuraku Grand Sumo Spring Tournament (Edion Arena Osaka), at the Funajima Fureai Center, 1 Nanpeidai, Ami-machi, Ibaraki Prefecture, the first victory was won by Onosato Seki (23), the 5th member of the Nishi-maegashira of Nishonoseki stable in the same town. The town’s residents, who were looking forward to the event, watched the action on large-screen televisions. When Oinosato Seki missed out on his first victory and was defeated in the tournament, the townspeople screamed, “Ah!” Afterwards, he applauded the team’s good performance with 11 wins.
The room was opened in June 2022 by Master Nishonoseki (former Yokozuna Kisenosato). Oinosato Seki was competing for the championship with a one-point difference from the newly-entered makuuchi, Takerufuji Seki (24). At Senshu Raku, Takafuji Seki won in the previous attempt, leaving Onosato Seki with no chance of winning for the first time.
Afterwards, the townspeople watched with great enthusiasm until the final stage. Oonosato Seki lost to Hoshoryu Seki (24) and was unable to close out the place with a win. The townspeople couldn’t help but let out voices of disappointment.
Onosato Seki is from Ishikawa Prefecture, where the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred. Kanato Inoue (20), a second-year university student from Ami Town, who was watching the event, said, “I think Onosato’s success gave encouragement to the disaster victims.” Mayor Shigeru Chiba expressed his hopes for the future, saying, “The 24 people in the room are Ami townspeople.Onosato is the pride of the townspeople.I hope they will continue to practice and do their best.”
Ounosato Seki entered the Nishonoseki stable and stepped into the ring for the first time last May. This year, he was the 15th player in Nishi-Maegashira, his first tournament, and won the fighting spirit award with a good record of 11 wins and 4 losses. (Takayuki Aoki)