A feud between sumo siblings is taking on the proportions of a royal scandal in Japan.
Retired grand champions Wakanohana and Takanohana stood side-by-side at their father's funeral service on Thursday, but there was little brotherly love between the two former wrestlers.
The passing of sumo elder Futagoyama has done little to resolve a cold war that exists between his two famous sons, who have long held philosophical differences over Japan's ancient sport and their place in it.
On Friday, Japan's sports newspapers and afternoon talk shows treated the spat as if it were a political scandal of utmost importance. Everyone from former sumo greats to famous actors weighed in on the "Waka-Taka" rift.
"At a time like this I wish they were making efforts to get along," actor Hayato Tani, who attended Thursday's service, told reporters.
In their prime, the two brothers were the darlings of Japan when they rose to the top of the sumo world in the 1990s and sparked a renaissance in a sport that was struggling at the gate.
Their careers took vastly different paths when they retired from sumo.
The younger Takanohana, whose real name is Koji Hanada, is considered one of the greatest wrestlers in sumo history, winning 22 Emperor's Cups in the elite division, fourth on the all-time list.
When Takanohana retired in 2003, he became a sumo elder and sought to recapture the past glories of the stable he took over from his father, who rose to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki a decade earlier.
Wakanohana, who had a less-successful career as a grand champion, also became a sumo elder after his retirement but has since left the sport and has taken up a career as a TV commentator.
"We're not on speaking terms these days," Takanohana said after his father's funeral. "People want us to get along but I'm afraid that's impossible."
Takanohana considered he should be the chief mourner at his father's funeral because Wakanohana had officially severed ties with sumo.
But that honor went to the older Wakanohana, who made an emotional speech while his younger brother stood by with a stern look on his face.
"I would like him to realize what his public position is," Takanohana told reporters. "He has quit sumo circles and it is not a polite thing to do for the sumo elders attending the service."
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
OBJECTIVE REACHED: ’Now for us, it’s about getting healthy, making sure everybody is ready to go, and we can ramp up,’ the Atlanta Hawks’ C.J. McCollum said after the game The Atlanta Hawks on Friday secured an NBA playoff berth with a 124-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference second seed with a lopsided win of their own. C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 29 points for the Hawks, who came into the contest at sixth in the East and still in danger of falling into the play-in tournament that would see the seventh-through 10th-placed teams battle for the last two playoff berths in each conference. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson scored 18 points apiece, and Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13
RSS