Attendance at the European Sumo Championships 2026
2026/6/27
On Saturday 27th June, Consul General Katsutoshi Takeda attended the European Sumo Championships 2026 at the University of Stirling Sports Centre.
Organized by the European Sumo Federation, the European Sumo Championships have been held in various locations across Europe since being founded in 1995. This year’s tournament was hosted by Sumo Scotland and took place in Scotland. The event drew approximately 200 participants from 16 countries and regions, including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, England, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
On the day, former Yokozuna Hakuho Sho, former Ozeki Baruto Kaito, and former Komusubi Kokkai Futoshi were in attendance. Hakuho introduced sumo, demonstrated shiko (raising and stomping a leg), and spoke about the mindset needed for sumo. They also watched almost 300 heated bouts contested across various weight classes of both men and women alongside a large crowd of spectators.
Nicholas George Tarasenko, who has been training with Sumo Scotland (formerly Clan Sumo Scotland), and belongs to the Minato Stable, passed the new recruit examination by the Japan Sumo Association, and has been given the sumo name “Eisei Jouji”. He is set to make his debut as the second British-born sumo wrestler, potentially as early as the Nagoya Basho in July, showing that interest in sumo is growing in the region.
We hope that sumo will continue to further increase cultural exchange between the UK and Japan.
Organized by the European Sumo Federation, the European Sumo Championships have been held in various locations across Europe since being founded in 1995. This year’s tournament was hosted by Sumo Scotland and took place in Scotland. The event drew approximately 200 participants from 16 countries and regions, including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, England, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
On the day, former Yokozuna Hakuho Sho, former Ozeki Baruto Kaito, and former Komusubi Kokkai Futoshi were in attendance. Hakuho introduced sumo, demonstrated shiko (raising and stomping a leg), and spoke about the mindset needed for sumo. They also watched almost 300 heated bouts contested across various weight classes of both men and women alongside a large crowd of spectators.
Nicholas George Tarasenko, who has been training with Sumo Scotland (formerly Clan Sumo Scotland), and belongs to the Minato Stable, passed the new recruit examination by the Japan Sumo Association, and has been given the sumo name “Eisei Jouji”. He is set to make his debut as the second British-born sumo wrestler, potentially as early as the Nagoya Basho in July, showing that interest in sumo is growing in the region.
We hope that sumo will continue to further increase cultural exchange between the UK and Japan.