New Komusubi Churanoumi Says He Thought of Quitting While Bouncing Between Juryo and Makushita
In a new-sanyaku interview aired during NHK's Day 3 broadcast, Churanoumi, 33, the first sanyaku rikishi from Okinawa, said the hardest time was 'going back and forth between juryo and makushita,' Sporting News Japan reports. After three straight losing records from West Juryo 3 in January 2021 left him at West Makushita 3, 'I started thinking a little about retiring.'
He decided, 'If I'm going to do it anyway, I'll go all out, as if it's my last challenge,' and things turned around as he stuck to the left front-grip sumo he has honed since high school. He debuted in March 2016, made juryo in July 2018 and makuuchi in November 2023; his 63 basho to sanyaku is the slowest ever for a former collegian. Weight gain over the past two years means he gets driven straight out far less, and 'even without the left grip I can move forward.' He has run children's tournaments in Okinawa for three years. 'I want to do sumo that's straight and doesn't run away. It's plain, but I want people to think I'm working hard.'