[www.keralites.net] Juvenile Sumo Wrestling

 

Smackdown! Schoolchildren enter the ring for slimmed-down sumo wrestling competition You don't have to be a 30-stone man mountain to enjoy a spot of Japanese sumo-wrestling, as these fiercely competitive schoolchildren prove. The pint-sized athletes were taking part in the annual Hassaku Sumo Festival held in Okunitama, Tokyo, Japan, where the competition was extremely fierce. The tournament is open to elementary school children, both girls and boys, as part of the festival which is held to pray for good harvests and people's safety. Crunch! A youngster gets a face full of dirt as he is thrown to the ground during the Hassaku Sumo Festival in Okunitama, Tokyo Sumo wrestling is a national obsession in Japan where the giant competitors, known as rikishis, are seen as national heroes and become unlikely sex symbols. Full-sized wrestlers can weigh well over 250kg and in order to stay in fighting shape they need to consume a whopping 20,000 calories a day. Big on tradition: Before the bouts the youngsters perform the leg-stomping 'shiko' ritual to drive away evil spirits As well as their enormous meals the wrestlers top up by downing around six pints of beer at every mealtime. Although the sport of Sumo has been practised for over 1000 years the Japanese consider its a modern martial art. The bouts take place in a circular ring known as a dohyō and the winner is the first wrestler to force his opponent to step out of the ring or to force them to touch the ground with any part of their body other than the bottom of their feet. Tradition is extremely important and before each bout the wrestlers perform a ritual known as the Shiko exercise where they stomp their feet in order to drive away evil spirits. Girl power: It's not just the boys who enjoy a spot of sumo On your marks: A referee looks on as two junior wrestlers prepare to slam into each other You're going down: Two determined wrestlers battle it out in the sumo ring, known as a dohy Heavyweight heroes: Two full-sized sumo wrestlers, known as rikishis, fight it out during a professional bout

 

Thanks & Regards, Raj. Kumar (courtesy to Deepak)

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