For sport and country

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:59 JST, June 26, 2022

Ukrainian sumo wrestlers train in Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture, on June 18, in preparation for an international tournament to be held in the United States in July. Six Ukrainian wrestlers came to Japan in May after the Russian invasion made it impossible for them to continue training in Kharkiv in the eastern part of the country. They have been training in Ehime Prefecture since June 15. The sumo arena in Seiyo has been used for tournaments since the Edo period (1603-1867), and wrestler Oreksandr Veresiuk said, “I want to build up my power in this historic dohyo ring.”