His father “knew he was a man who would do it,” but… Yokozuna Ohnosato “folded the towel he had wiped his sweat off with” similarities to Shohei Otani.

What?　Are you sure? Thank you so much.”

A large man politely thanked him and smiled at the reporter who offered him croquettes. 24-year-old Onosato, the first yokozuna from Japan in eight years, was in the Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumida-ku, Tokyo) stadium.

The event took place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumida-ku, Tokyo), just before he entered the ring at the May 31 retirement match of Oguruma no Mikata (former maegashira Kotoemitsu). Ohnosato, who was announced as the “new yokozuna” at the event, performed a magnificent Unryu kata in front of a large crowd of fans.

His father, Tomoyuki Nakamura, who witnessed Ohnosato’s ring-entering ceremony at the Kokugikan, recalls, “He did a fine job.

He did a fine job. Ever since he was a child, he always told me sternly, ‘Don’t come back until you become sekitori,’ but when he became yokozuna, he praised him in a rare way. I thought he was a man who would do it before, but I didn’t know he would really do it. Congratulations. My son was embarrassed, but he smiled happily.

I hope he grows into a dignified yokozuna.

Ohnosato is not only strong as a rikishi and has outstanding skills. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, he was courteous to all his opponents, even bowing to reporters he had never met before and thanking them for their kindness. During the tournament, he is a topic of conversation for the way he neatly folds the towel with which he wipes his sweat and returns it to the caller.

He is kind to everyone and takes the initiative in doing even the smallest of things, similar to the Major League Baseball star Shohei Otani. Ohtani also gave away about 16.5 million yen in prize money from the All-Star homer derby to a baseball team employee. He willingly picks up trash on the field.

Their physical flexibility is also similar to that of Ohnosato: both wrestlers are over 190 cm tall, but because of their soft bodies, they can handle any opponent with dexterity and achieve great results without relying solely on strength. Although they compete in different sports, baseball and sumo, they are both true stars, top-notch in mind, technique, and body,” said a reporter for a sports newspaper.

Ohnosato’s father, Mr. Nakamura, continues.

Nakamura, Ohnosato’s father, continues, “It is a bit presumptuous to say that my son and Ohtani are similar. …… However, I hope that my son will become an athlete like Otani, who will be a role model for children and an admirer of all athletes. I want him to grow up to be not only strong but also a dignified yokozuna who is respected by all.”

Otani in the Majors and Ohnosato in Sumo. There is no doubt that these two great stars who know how to be civil will lead the sports world in the future.