<figure id="attachment_226075" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2000px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-226075"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5139718c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/01/DSC_9128.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-226075" class="wp-caption-text">Ontake Kai with Margarita when he was in the fourth grade (Image provided for the November 27, 2003 issue of this magazine)</figcaption></figure>
 An all-year-round candidate for ozeki.
 The sekiwake Ontake Kai (29), who won his third tournament title at the Senshugaku tournament on January 23, has been called a disgrace. He had two chances to be promoted to ozeki, but he lost five straight and three straight in the tournaments that followed. He had two chances to be promoted to ozeki, but lost five straight and three straight in the tournaments that followed. He had two chances to be promoted to ozeki, but lost five straight and three straight in the tournaments that followed, and was beaten by the younger Takakei and his contemporary Masayo. In his victory interview, he recalled
 I was so frustrated that they beat me to the top. I wanted to go up as soon as possible, so I kept aiming for the top.
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 The reason why he could not get over the hump was his own consciousness. He was counting the stars, thinking, &#8220;How many more wins do I have to get to be promoted to ozeki,&#8221; and lost sight of his own sumo under pressure. In this tournament, he changed his way of thinking, saying, &#8220;Let&#8217;s just aim for double-digit wins,&#8221; without thinking about specific wins. He stuck to his signature style of pushing until the end, and was promoted to Ozeki.
 He was promoted at the age of 29 years and one month, the sixth oldest in history. The reason Ontake Kai was able to keep his spirits up and challenge for the title of ozeki at this age was probably due to the presence of his mother, Margarita (51) from the Philippines, who has been supporting him. She is the most ardent fan of Ontake, who has been sumo since he was in elementary school, and is the person who understands him the most.
<h2 class="p3">He&#8217;s a hero.</h2>
<figure id="attachment_226074" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2000px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-226074"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5492b83b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/01/DSC_9054.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-226074" class="wp-caption-text">In Margarita&#8217;s house, there are many certificates that Mitakeumi has won (Image provided for the November 27, 2003 issue of this magazine)</figcaption></figure>
 FRIDAY&#8221; interviewed Ms. Margarita immediately after Ontake Kai was promoted to makuuchi (November 27, 2003 issue). She lives in Nagano Prefecture with her husband, Haruo Omichi, and goes to the Ryogoku Kokugikan to cheer him on whenever she has the chance. We would like to share with you the words of Margarita, who is full of love and compassion for her son.
 He is my only son, so he is very cute. Hee (Hisashi) is a hero to me.
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 One of Ontake&#8217;s characteristics is his strength of will to face opponents who are bigger than him head on. He has always hated to lose, even as a child.
 When I was in the first grade of elementary school, I participated in a local sumo tournament and lost in the first round, and I cried. I was so frustrated that I joined a local club, and that&#8217;s when I started sumo in earnest. From then on, I used to do 400 sumo stomps every day on the garden stone at home.
 Ontakeumi became a student yokozuna at Toyo University. After graduation, he was scheduled to work for the Wakayama Prefectural Government, a powerhouse in adult sumo. But &#8230;&#8230;.
 My wife and I also went to the prefectural office to say hello, so we were surprised to hear that Hee-kun wanted to go into sumo. As a parent, isn&#8217;t it the best thing to get him a stable job? &#8230;&#8230;. But since it was my son&#8217;s decision, I gave him this advice. But since it was my son&#8217;s decision, I gave him this advice: &#8220;It&#8217;s your life, so make your own choice and don&#8217;t regret it.
Mitakeumi is usually very humble and polite. The reason why he never gave up on his promotion to ozeki even though his career was delayed is due to Margarita&#8217;s words of advice.
 She said, &#8220;The sumo world is a society where people are jealous of you. I always tell him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t lose sight of yourself,&#8221; and &#8220;Don&#8217;t ever become a nogu. I always tell them, &#8216;Don&#8217;t lose sight of yourself,&#8217; and &#8216;Don&#8217;t ever get carried away.&#8217; I tell them to be grateful for the people around them, including their instructors, who have helped them get this far, and to be diligent.
 Ontakeumi&#8217;s wish has come true before he turns 30. Recently, he has not been open about his dream of being promoted to ozeki and laughed in his victory interview, saying, &#8220;Isn&#8217;t it cool to secretly aim for it? Finally, he can proudly report his promotion to Ozeki to his beloved mother.
<figure id="attachment_226076" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1829px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-226076"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="51550c76"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/01/DSC_9177.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-226076" class="wp-caption-text">Margarita, Ontake&#8217;s mother</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_226077" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2000px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-226077"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9c0daba2"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/01/DSC_9042.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-226077" class="wp-caption-text">Endo (second from the left), a popular wrestler from Nihon University, is two years older than Mitakeumi (Image provided for the November 27, 2003 issue of this magazine)</figcaption></figure>

 Yasuko Funamoto

 Mitakeumi, a Sekiwake wrestler, won the championship for the third time. The rikishi who had been called a "perennial candidate for ozeki" was also promoted. He had been frustrated with being overtaken by younger rivals. He has been supported by his mother from the Philippines. Here are some of her words of wisdom that this magazine has interviewed in the past!

Get inspired and win! Golden words of a mother from the Philippines” that supported Mitakeumi

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