Ukrainian Wins Kyushu Sumo Championship

In Fukuoka, Japan, 21-year-old Ukrainian sumo wrestler Danylo Yavhusishyn, competing under the ring name Aonishiki Arata, claimed victory in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on November 23, 2025, becoming the first from his country to win an elite-level championship in the sport.

Yavhusishyn finished the 15-day event at Fukuoka Kokusai Center with a record of 12 wins and three losses, tying for the lead with Yokozuna Hoshoryu Tomokatsu, a 26-year-old Mongolian champion, and fellow Yokozuna Onosato. On the final day, Onosato withdrew from his bout against Hoshoryu due to a shoulder injury, handing Hoshoryu a walkover win. Yavhusishyn then defeated Kotozakura using an uchimuso throwing technique to force a playoff. In the decisive match, he overcame Hoshoryu with a rear throw, securing the Emperor's Cup. Officials presented him with the Prime Minister's Cup during the ceremony.

The win marks a historic milestone, as Yavhusishyn is only the second Ukrainian in sumo's top makuuchi division, following Serhii Sokolovskyi, known as Shishi. His rapid ascent has drawn widespread attention; he reached the upper divisions in just one year after debuting in July 2023, the fifth-fastest...