Seizing A Dream Through Sumo: Mongolia - Asia Insight

Key Concepts

• Yapon Murud (Japanese Dream): The aspiration for Mongolian children to achieve success in Japanese professional sumo.
• Yokazuna: The highest rank in Japanese sumo.
• Soore Secure School: A state-run educational facility in Mongolia with a strong focus on sports, including sumo.
• Buhuu: A traditional Mongolian style of wrestling with over a thousand techniques, which shares skill requirements with sumo.
• Makushita: The third highest division in Japanese professional sumo.
• Ghetto: A traditional dwelling of nomadic people in Mongolia.

Mongolian Sumo Aspirations: The "Japanese Dream"

The video details the intense pursuit of success in Japanese professional sumo, known as "Yapon Murud" or the "Japanese Dream," among children in Mongolia. This dream holds significant economic and social implications for families, as achieving the top rank of Yokazuna can yield an annual income of approximately $240,000 USD, a stark contrast to the average Mongolian worker's annual income of about $7,400 USD. Since 1992, around 40 Mongolian wrestlers have achieved ranked status in Japan, with six reaching the prestigious Yokazuna rank.

The Path to Professional Sumo

The journey for aspiring Mongolian sumo wrestlers begins at a young age, with national tournaments for school children serving as the first crucial step. Winning these tournaments can earn a child the opportunity to compete in a Japanese tournament, where they might be scouted for professional careers. This pursuit places immense pressure on young athletes, as their success is often seen as carrying the "family's fate."

Soore Secure School: A Hub for Talent

The Soore Secure School, located in Bayan Hong, is a state-run institution that has become a focal point for sports education in Mongolia. Originally designed for 325 students, it now educates over 900 children due to a surge in applications, with further expansion planned to accommodate up to 2,000 students by September 2025. The school's Sumo Group is particularly renowned, with its members consistently performing well in national tournaments.

Intensive Training and Coaching

During summer vacation, the sumo club engages in a week of intensive training prior to the national tournament. This training involves laying down a fabric ring over exercise mats. The coach, Gang Huyak, a graduate of the Mongolian National Institutes of Physical Education, coaches multiple martial arts clubs, including sumo, judo, wrestling, and Buhuu. Buhuu, a Mongolian wrestling style with over a thousand techniques, is emphasized for its development of flexibility and a strong core, skills highly transferable to sumo. Parents actively participate, volunteering to prepare meals, such as a traditional mutton and wheat noodle dish.

Promising Young Wrestlers: Batsuru and Dawa Jaragaru

Two sixth-grade students, Batsuru and Dawa Jaragaru, are highlighted as strong contenders for the national tournament.

Batsuru's Background and Potential

Batsuru, a favorite to win, has a history of strong performances, including a second-place finish in a previous tournament. His athleticism was evident from a young age, and he has excelled in Buhuu tournaments. He began learning sumo in the third grade. Batsuru comes from a family where his father is unemployed, his mother works at a market, and he has two older brothers working in Ulan Vata and a younger sister. The growing interest in professional sports in Mongolia, particularly martial arts, aligns with the nation's equestrian traditions, and the government supports athletes with potential.

Dawa Jaragaru's Challenges and Determination

Dawa Jaragaru, named after the legendary Mongolian Yokazuna Hakuho, faces significant challenges. He lives in a ghetto with his mother, who is a wheelchair user due to nerve damage sustained during childbirth. His father divorced them, and the family relies on a disability allowance that is less than half the minimum wage. They often depend on Dawa Jaragaru's grandparents, nomadic shepherds, for support. The family incurs travel costs for tournaments, sometimes selling a sheep for events outside their province. Dawa Jaragaru's home lacks running water, and he is responsible for fetching it from a supply station five minutes away, often carrying 20-kilogram tanks. Batsuru occasionally assists him with this task.

Dawa Jaragaru's mother, despite her mobility issues, drives him to school, navigating slowly at around 20 km/h to avoid accidents, often facing honking from other drivers. A key technical challenge for Dawa Jaragaru is his vulnerability to leg attacks, which has led to losses against older wrestlers. He is undergoing intensive training to improve his defense against these techniques.

The National Tournament: A Gateway to Japan

The national tournament, held at a gym at a national university, features 61 participants from across Mongolia. The event includes separate categories for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, with a qualifying league followed by a final league for the top contenders.

Tournament Progression and Key Matches

Both Dawa Jaragaru and Batsuru advance undefeated through the qualifying league. In the final league, the winners of the fourth and fifth-grade categories are from the Soore Secure School. In the sixth-grade division, nine finalists compete in a round-robin format.

Batsuru secures his first win in the final league. Dawa Jaragaru also wins his initial matches. However, in his third match, Dawa Jaragaru suffers a painful loss due to an inability to grip with his right hand, allowing his opponent to exploit his leg weakness. He recovers to win his next match, setting up a crucial showdown with his rival, Batsuru.

The highly anticipated match between Dawa Jaragaru and Batsuru is intense, with both wrestlers standing firm for over a minute. Dawa Jaragaru ultimately defeats Batsuru with a leg attack, a technique he had diligently practiced.

Tournament Outcome and Future Prospects

Despite the earlier losses, all favorites have one defeat each. Dawa Jaragaru's next opponent is Nang Dinghu from the Gobi Desert. This match results in Dawa Jaragaru's second loss, significantly diminishing his chances of an overall victory. Nang Dinghu's momentum continues, and he goes on to win the tournament with only one loss. Batsuru, after losing to Dawa Jaragaru, goes on a winning streak but then faces Nang Dinghu, conceding his second loss. Batsuru finishes third with three losses, while Dawa Jaragaru does not secure a top-three finish.

Despite the tournament's outcome, Dawa Jaragaru remains resilient, immediately focusing on practicing leg techniques with a familiar coach. The next tournament is scheduled for November, and the training continues.

Conclusion

The video powerfully illustrates the dedication, challenges, and dreams of young Mongolian sumo wrestlers striving for the "Japanese Dream." It highlights the socio-economic disparities that fuel this ambition, the crucial role of educational institutions like Soore Secure School, and the personal sacrifices made by both the athletes and their families. The narrative of Batsuru and Dawa Jaragaru underscores the competitive nature of the sport and the unwavering spirit required to pursue such a demanding aspiration.