Day 6: British-Born Eisei Goes 3-0 in Jonidan and Cooks His Own Lunch: 'Karaage Is My Specialty'
East Jonidan 83 Eisei, 17 (Minato), only the third British-born rikishi (counting Hong Kong before its 1997 return to China), forced out East Jonidan 85 Kato (Nakamura) on Day 6 to go 3-0 and is one win from kachi-koshi. He drove into Kato, who tried to thrust him upright, got his head down, took both sides of the mawashi and kept up the pressure as Kato held on at the edge. 'He was really strong. But I didn't want to lose. I wrestled well today, so I'm happy.' In his third basho since debuting in maezumo in Nagoya, his cooking is improving too: after his bout he shops at the supermarket and makes his own lunch at the stable's lodgings. 'The day before yesterday I made yakisoba, and yesterday I had sausages and eggs. My specialty is karaage, which I love. I can make shogayaki too.' He learns by watching his seniors cook chanko, has kept his weight up during the basho, and says, 'I want six wins this basho' (Sports Hochi).