”I have two hearts beating in my body -- Mongolia gave me birth and Japan fostered me,” Asashoryu says after bidding the ring farewell

Asashoryu, the 68th Yokozuna or Grand Champion of sumo, bade formal farewell to the ring on Sunday at a ceremony organized by The Japanese Sumo Association in Tokyo. Among those present to watch his topknot cut in a ritual to officially end his controversial career were Prime Minister S.Batbold and other Mongolians.

More than 300 people, ranging from a professional boxer to a television personality, each cut a tiny portion of his knot with a large pair of gold-colored scissors on the ring under the glare of fans and media. Asashoryu, who quit the sport in February, sat rigid and shut his eyes tight when his stablemaster Takasago chopped off the final strand.

"I have two hearts beating in my body -- Mongolia gave me birth and Japan fostered me. I love these two countries most," the 30-year-old Mongolian said on the ring to huge cheers from fans after he parted with the knot. He saluted the fans as he left the ring. He kissed its side and raised both hands in the air before leaving the arena.

After the ceremony, Asashoryu, whose real name is Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj, told reporters he wanted to be "reborn as a Japanese".

"It"s my dream to become a yokozuna as a Japanese," he said, using the Japanese word for a grand champion.

He won enthusiastic followers with his "bad boy" image and colorful character. But he also angered traditionalists who believed his comments and behavior were too abrasive for a sumo champion expected to be a discreet social role model. He quit the sport after he was accused of punching a man in a nightclub brawl.
Asashoruy began sumo in January, 1999 and got the Yokozuna rank in 2003. He won the Emperor’s Cup 25 times, fewer than only two others in sumo history. In 2005, he became the first ever to win all six bashos in a calendar year.
source:news.mn
Share:

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Facebook page

Powered by Blogger.

Categories

Advertising in Mongolia An Asian Development Bank Culture Editorial of the Mongolianviews education Environmental protection Famous Mongolians Foreigners in Mongolia Inner Mongolia Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia Adventure Mongolia agriculture Mongolia air pollution Mongolia analysis Mongolia and Armenia Mongolia and Asian Development Bank Mongolia and Australia Mongolia and Azerbaijan Mongolia and Belorussia Mongolia and Bulgaria Mongolia and Cambodia Mongolia and Canada Mongolia and central Asia Mongolia and China Mongolia and Cuba Mongolia and Czech Mongolia and donors Mongolia and EU Mongolia and Germany Mongolia and Hongkong Mongolia and Hungary Mongolia and IFC Mongolia and IMF Mongolia and Ind Mongolia and India Mongolia and Indonesia Mongolia and Inner Mongolia Mongolia and Iran Mongolia and Israel Mongolia and Italy Mongolia and Japan Mongolia and Kazakhstan Mongolia and Korea Mongolia and Kuwait Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan Mongolia and Malaysia Mongolia and Nato Mongolia and North Korean Mongolia and Poland Mongolia and Qatar Mongolia and Russia Mongolia and Russia and Mongolia and China Mongolia and Singapore Mongolia and South Korea Mongolia and Taiwan Mongolia and Thailand Mongolia and the world Mongolia and Tibet Mongolia and Turkey Mongolia and UK Mongolia and Ukraine Mongolia and UN Mongolia and US Mongolia and USA Mongolia and Vietnam Mongolia Banking Mongolia blind Mongolia Cashmere Mongolia Christianity Mongolia civic society Mongolia Corruption Mongolia crime Mongolia diplomacy Mongolia Economy Mongolia Education Mongolia Energy Mongolia environment Mongolia Finance Mongolia Health Mongolia History Mongolia holiday Mongolia in international media Mongolia Industries Mongolia investment Mongolia Joke Mongolia law Mongolia LGBT Mongolia medical Mongolia military Mongolia Mining Mongolia Mining Developments Mongolia Mortgage Mongolia natural disaster Mongolia news media Mongolia Nuclear Mongolia Petroleum Mongolia Politics Mongolia Poverty Mongolia public announcements Mongolia railways Mongolia Religion Mongolia slums Mongolia society Mongolia Sports Mongolia Stamp Mongolia Sumo Mongolia telecommunication Mongolia tourism Mongolia trade Mongolia Transportation Mongolia Urbanization Mongolia Wild Life Mongolian Agriculture Mongolian and Cuba Mongolian Archeology Mongolian Climate Mongolian Food Mongolian Gay Mongolian Government news Mongolian History Mongolian Kazakh Mongolian Meat Mongolian Military Mongolian Mining Development Mongolian Movie Mongolian News Mongolian Parliament Mongolian Political news Mongolian Press Mongolian Songs Mongolian Sumo Mongolian Women Mongolian Youth Mongolians abroad Moninfo Opinion Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement Photo news Press Release Rio Tinto Tavan Tolgoi coal mine Ulaanbaatar development Weird expatriates in Mongolia World bank and Mongolia

Blog Archive

Followers