2012 Akita International Sumo Basho |
 |
Details |
Date | June 24 |
Location | Akita Budokan |
No. Men | 12 |
Men's Championship |
Champion | Travis Emery |
Runner-up | Colton Runyan |
Fighting Spirit | Todd Horner |
No. of bouts | 48 |
← 2011 | 2013 → |
The 8th Annual Akita International Sumo Basho (第八回秋田県国際相撲場所) is a charity sumo tournament that was held on June 24th by the Akita Association of JETs. Every year JETs and friends gather from all across Tohoku (and some farther still) to decide who is worthy of the title of Akita's Yokozuna. Proceeds went to the Tohoku earthquake relief efforts. Over 90 people came to have a great time celebrating the fantastic aspect of Japanese culture that is sumo, as well as raise money for a great cause.
Training session
An optional training/information session was held June 16th at the Yabase Sports Park in Akita City. This session explained the rules, etiquette, and brief history of sumo to those who wanted to find out a bit more about the sport before participating in the real deal. Attendance was not necessary for participation in the tournament.
Details
- Date: Sunday, June 24th 2012
- Place: Akita Budokan, Akita City (google maps link)
- Price:
- Rikishi (participants): ¥1,500
- Spectators: ¥ 1,000 were expected to show up no later than 9:30. Upon arrival, volunteers helped explain how to put on mawashis, explained the rules governing the bouts, and gave tips on how to fight.
Wrestlers
Men's
Name
|
Country
|
Hometown
|
Akita
|
Shikona
|
Owen Cunningham
|
|
Kilkenny
|
Central
|
相撲猿
|
SumOweN
|
Travis Emery
|
|
New Hampshire
|
Outside
|
虎美
|
Torabi
|
Neil Fanning
|
|
Washington
|
Central
|
歩人
|
The Hobbit
|
Todd Horner
|
|
Alberta
|
Central
|
煙突
|
Smoke Stacks
|
Casey Kuester
|
|
Minnesota
|
Central
|
ミネソタ武蔵
|
Minnesota Musashi
|
Colton Runyan
|
|
Texas
|
North
|
熊の山
|
Bear Mountain
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
|
Vermont
|
Outside
|
山葵の里
|
Wasabi no Sato
|
Jeff Onizak
|
|
Winnipeg
|
North
|
不器用白熊
|
Clumsy Polar bear
|
Justin Velgus
|
|
San Francisco
|
Central
|
東北雷
|
Tohoku Thunder
|
Kenneth Grant
|
|
Britain
|
Central
|
蹴荷威
|
Kick Stuff Powerfully
|
Gavin Fisher
|
|
Vancouver
|
South
|
闘麒麟
|
Fighting Giraffe
|
Padraig de Cléir
|
|
Donegal
|
Central
|
田中
|
Tanaka
|
Tournament format
The original format was for each wrestler to fight 7 matches and the wrestlers with the best two records would fight each other for 1st and second place. After all 7 rounds had been completed, there was a 4-way tie for second place, with four wrestlers having 5-2 records. Single elimination matches were held to decide who would go against the sole 6-1 wrestler in the championship match.
Officials
The officiating for the 2012 tournament, as well as special prize decisions was overseen once again by the gentlemen of Sumo & Stogies.
- Head Referee/Head Judge - Bryan Barber
- Head Referee/Head Judge - Pat Costello
- Ring-side Judge - Delmer Lopez
- Ring-side Judge - Jae Grobler
Publicity
The Akita Sakigake Newspaper once again came and covered the tournament. Below is the original text and translation of the article that appeared in the April 26th edition of the newpaper.
県国際相撲大会
ALTら12人がまわし姿ね熱戦
県立武道館
Sakigake Article
(Neil Fanning vs Travis Emery)
県内の小学、中学、高校の外国語指導助手(ALT)らによる「第8回県国際相撲大会」が24日、秋田市の県立武道館で開かれ、まわし姿の外国人男性が熱戦を繰り広げた。県内のALTらで作る「秋田JET参加者の会」(ケーシー・キースタ会長)の主催。
出場力士は「ミネソタ武蔵」「熊の山」などと自信でしこ名をつけて試合に挑んだ。がっしり取り組み合った後に力いっぱい土俵の外へ押し出したり、土俵際で体を返し相手を土俵下に追いやるなど白熱した取組が目立ち、観客から「ナイスファイト」との声が上がった。
男鹿市船越のケニー・グラントさん(23)=英国出身=は「全力でぶつかり合うのが楽しい」と話していた」。
相撲大会は、異文化交流や募金活動を目的に、2004年から年1回開催している。観客から集めた入場料は日本赤十字社に寄付し、東日本大震災の被害者支援に充ててもらう。
Prefectural International Sumo Tournament
12 ALTs Battle it out in Mawashis
Prefectural Martial Arts Center
Elementary, junior, and senior high school ALTs from around the prefecture gathered on the 24th at the prefectural martial arts center to watch some of their fellow ALTs fiercely battle it our in mawashi. The event was sponsored by the Akita Association of JETs.
Participants wrestled under shikona that they thought of themselves, such as "Bear Mountain" and "Minnesota Musashi." Burly wrestlers found themselves being cheered on by calls of "Nice fight!" as they brutally shoved opponents out of the ring and forced them off the dohyo.
Kenny Grant, a 23 year old from England currently living in Oga said, "It's fun to hit your opponent at full power"
The international sumo tournament has been held once a year since 2004 and aims to raise money for charity and promote cultural exchange. The money gathered from this year's tournament will go to the Red Cross to support the victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Bouts
Round 1
Round 1
East
|
Video
|
West
|
○
|
Neil Fanning
|
watch
|
Casey Kuester
|
|
○
|
Todd Horner
|
watch
|
Gavin Fisher
|
|
○
|
Owen Cunningham
|
watch
|
Jeff Onizak
|
|
|
Kenneth Grant
|
watch
|
Travis Emery
|
○
|
○
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
watch
|
Justin Velgus
|
|
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
○
|
Round 2
Round 2
East
|
Video
|
West
|
|
Justin Velgus
|
watch
|
Todd Horner
|
○
|
○
|
Owen Cunningham
|
watch
|
Gavin Fisher
|
|
○
|
Casey Kuester
|
watch
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
|
|
Neil Fanning
|
1 Rematch
|
Travis Emery
|
○
|
○
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
watch
|
Jeff Onizak
|
|
○
|
Kenneth Grant
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
|
Round 3
Round 3
East
|
Video
|
West
|
|
Justin Velgus
|
watch
|
Owen Cunningham
|
○
|
○
|
Jeff Onizak
|
watch
|
Todd Horner
|
|
|
Casey Kuester
|
watch
|
Kenneth Grant
|
○
|
○
|
Travis Emery
|
watch
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
|
○
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
watch
|
Gavin Fisher
|
|
|
Neil Fanning
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
○
|
Round 4
Round 4
East
|
Video
|
West
|
○
|
Justin Velgus
|
watch
|
Casey Kuester
|
|
○
|
Owen Cunningham
|
watch
|
Kenneth Grant
|
|
○
|
Todd Horner
|
watch
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
|
|
Jeff Onizak
|
watch
|
Travis Emery
|
○
|
○
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
watch
|
Neil Fanning
|
|
|
Gavin Fisher
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
○
|
Round 5
Round 5
East
|
Video
|
West
|
|
Justin Velgus
|
watch
|
Jeff Onizak
|
○
|
|
Gavin Fisher
|
watch
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
○
|
|
Neil Fanning
|
watch
|
Kenneth Grant
|
○
|
○
|
Travis Emery
|
watch
|
Casey Kuester
|
|
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
watch
|
Owen Cunningham
|
○
|
○
|
Todd Horner
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
|
Round 6
Round 6
East
|
Video
|
West
|
○
|
Justin Velgus
|
watch
|
Gavin Fisher
|
|
|
Jeff Onizak
|
watch
|
Kenneth Grant
|
○
|
|
Neil Fanning
|
watch
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
○
|
|
Owen Cunningham
|
watch
|
Travis Emery
|
○
|
○
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
watch
|
Todd Horner
|
|
|
Casey Kuester
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
○
|
Round 7
Round 7
East
|
Video
|
West
|
○
|
Justin Velgus
|
watch
|
Neil Fanning
|
|
○
|
Jeff Onizak
|
watch
|
Gavin Fisher
|
|
|
Kenneth Grant
|
watch
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
○
|
|
Owen Cunningham
|
watch
|
Todd Horner
|
○
|
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
watch
|
Casey Kuester
|
○
|
|
Travis Emery
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
○
|
Playoff
East
|
Video
|
West
|
|
Todd Horner
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
○
|
○
|
Owen Cunningham
|
watch
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
|
|
Owen Cunningham
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
○
|
Final
East
|
Video
|
West
|
○
|
Travis Emery
|
watch
|
Colton Runyan
|
|
Exhibition bout
East
|
Video
|
West
|
|
Travis Emery
|
watch
|
Igarashi
|
○
|
Statistics
|
(with playoff bouts)
|
Name
|
Country
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
PCT %
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
PCT %
|
Travis Emery
|
|
6
|
1
|
0.857
|
7
|
1
|
0.875
|
Colton Runyan
|
|
5
|
2
|
0.714
|
7
|
3
|
0.700
|
Owen Cunningham
|
|
5
|
2
|
0.714
|
6
|
3
|
0.667
|
Todd Horner
|
|
5
|
2
|
0.714
|
5
|
3
|
0.625
|
Dean Ruetzler
|
|
5
|
2
|
0.714
|
5
|
3
|
.625
|
Kenny Grant
|
|
4
|
3
|
0.571
|
|
|
|
Jeff Onizak
|
|
3
|
4
|
0.429
|
|
|
|
Padraig de Cleir
|
|
3
|
4
|
0.429
|
|
|
|
Justin Velgus
|
|
3
|
4
|
0.429
|
|
|
|
Casey Kuester
|
|
2
|
5
|
0.286
|
|
|
|
Neil Fanning
|
|
1
|
6
|
0.142
|
|
|
|
Gavin Fisher
|
|
0
|
7
|
0.000
|
|
|
|
Country Records
Men's & Women's
Country
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
PCT %
|
Total Rikishi
|
United Kingdom
|
4
|
3
|
0.571
|
1
|
Ireland
|
8
|
7
|
0.533
|
2
|
United States
|
22
|
20
|
0.524
|
6
|
Canada
|
8
|
13
|
0.381
|
1
|
- Play-off bouts are not included.
Awards
Men's Champion: Travis Emery
Men's Runner-up: Colton Runyan
Men's Fighting Spirit Prize: Todd Horner
Gallery
2012 wrestlers and judges
See also