Kyokutenzan Takeshi (born August 4, 1973 as Batmönkhiin Enkhbat, mn, Батмөнхийн Энхбат) is a former professional
sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
wrestler from
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...
,
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, one of the first Mongolians to join the sport in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. He did not manage to reach the top two divisions, but was regarded as a kind of mentor and father figure by younger Mongolian wrestlers who followed him, such as
Hakuhō and
Harumafuji.
In 2005, he obtained Japanese citizenship, but he left sumo upon his retirement in November 2007, moving to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
with his family to run a business.
Career
Kyokutenzan joined sumo in March 1992 at the same time as his more famous Mongolian colleagues
Kyokushūzan and
Kyokutenhō, part of the first group of Mongolians ever to join the sport professionally, but unlike them he never reached ''
sekitori
A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a ''rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: ''makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''.
The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fract ...
'' status. This was due partly to an inability to put on weight, and partly to injuries.
Nevertheless, he served as a ''
tsukebito
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
'', or personal attendant, to Kyokutenhō, and was an importance influence on other Mongolian ''
rikishi
A , or, more colloquially, , is a professional sumo wrestler. follow and live by the centuries-old rules of the sumo profession, with most coming from Japan, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally. Participation in official t ...
.'' During his early days in sumo, when five of the six Mongolians in
Ōshima stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was set up in 1980 by former '' ōzeki'' Asahikuni, who branched off from Tatsunami stable. The head of Tatsunami stable opposed the setting up of the new ...
ran away due to homesickness and the hardship of training, and sought refuge in the Mongolian embassy, Kyokutenzan was the only one who remained and he persuaded his countrymen to return. The importance of this action was recognized by
Futagoyama Oyakata, the former ''
ōzeki'' and father of
Takanohana and
Wakanohana, who commented that otherwise the subsequent line of successful Mongolian wrestlers in sumo might never have emerged.
During the January 2007 tournament Kyokutenzan attracted criticism over the amount of time he was spending in the two dressing rooms in which the wrestlers prepare for their bouts. He was interviewed by the
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active ...
as part of their investigation of alleged match-fixing involving ''
yokozuna
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the on ...
''
Asashōryū.
Kyokutenzan responded by saying he was just giving advice to Mongolian junior wrestlers, declaring, "I have never known of any match-fixing."
Kyokutenzan retired from professional sumo at the end of the 2007 Kyushu tournament. His retirement ceremony was held in December with
Hakuhō and
Asashōryū amongst the attendees as well as Kyokushūzan and Kyokutenhō. Kyuokutenzan moved to Germany with his wife, who he had married in July 2007, to start a business.
His second child, a girl, was born in May 2008.
Career record
See also
*
*
List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers
This is a list of foreign-born professional sumo wrestlers by country and/or ethnicity of origin, along with original name, years active in sumo wrestling, and highest rank attained. Names in bold indicate a still-active wrestler.
There are 186 w ...
*
List of past sumo wrestlers
This is a list of prominent past wrestlers (either retired or deceased) in the sport of professional sumo. They are listed in order of the year and tournament month that they made their professional debuts. The information listed below was gleaned ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyokutenzan, Takeshi
1973 births
Living people
Mongolian sumo wrestlers
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Japanese people of Mongolian descent
Naturalized citizens of Japan
Sportspeople from Ulaanbaatar