Estonian Baruto wants to become sumo’s first grand champion from Europe. At 1.98m and 186kg, few are betting against him.
Baruto, whose real name is Kaido Hoovelson, was promoted to sumo’s second-highest rank of ozeki on March 31 and is hoping to reach the ultimate rank of grand champion in the near future.
“I know my next step is to become a grand champion and I will try to do that this year,” Baruto said yesterday.
PHOTO: AFP
Mongolian Hakuho is the only wrestler currently competing at sumo’s top rank. Other than Mongolians, the only other non-Japanese grand champions were Hawaiian Akebono and Samoan Musashimaru.
The 25-year-old Baruto knows that promotion to grand champion will require winning multiple titles at the rank of ozeki.
Bulgarian Kotooshu won the championship once, in 2008, but his career seems stalled at ozeki.
The transition to Japan’s ancient sport, with its rigid seniority system, was not easy for Baruto.
“When I first came to Japan, I faced many challenges,” Baruto said. “In Europe, everyone is more or less equal regardless of age.”
Baruto’s family owned a cattle ranch and he became accustomed to hard physical labor as a child. He also worked as a nightclub bouncer.
After winning a national judo championship in Estonia, Baruto was introduced to amateur sumo through his judo coach.
In his first tournament in sumo’s top division, Baruto had 11 wins and four losses and won the Fighting Spirit Prize.
On the seventh day of the New Year tournament in January, Baruto defeated Hakuho for his first win over a grand champion in 19 attempts.
He posted a 14-1 record at the March tournament in Osaka to secure his promotion to ozeki.
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