Sumo World Championships Chiang Mai

The Sumo World Championship 2007
15th Sumo World Championships & 6th Shinsumo World Championships
8th Junior Sumo World Championships & Asian Championship November 16 -18, 2007 Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai proves its pedigree as a quality city hosting world events following the World Weightlifting Championshion in August with the World Sumo Championship. The 15th Sumo World Championship runs from November 16th - 18th at the 700 Year stadium and offers an ideal opportunity for a Tuskers trip out!

It is likely that we will be going on Saturday 17th after lunch as a group. If you would like to come along ask at the bar or email us for details.

For those that are not quite up on the rules of Somo this is how you win a bout

The winner of a sumo bout is mainly determined by two rules:

   1. The first person to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet loses.
   2. The first person to be pushed out of the ring loses.

On rare occasions the referee or judges may award the win to the wrestler who touched the ground first; this happens if both wrestlers touch the ground at the same time and it is decided that the wrestler who touched the ground second had no chance of winning as, due to the superior sumo of his opponent, he was already in an irrecoverable position. The losing wrestler is referred to as being shini-tai (“dead body”) in this case.

There are also a number of other rarely used rules that can be used to determine the winner. For example a wrestler using an illegal technique (or kinjite) automatically loses, as does one whose mawashi (or belt) becomes completely undone. A wrestler failing to turn up for his bout (including through a prior injury) also automatically loses (fusenpai). After the winner is declared, an off-stage gyoji (or referee) determines the kimarite (or winning technique) used in the bout, which is then announced to the audience.

Matches often last only a few seconds, as usually one wrestler is quickly ousted from the circle or thrown to the ground. However, they can occasionally last for several minutes. Each match is preceded by an elaborate ceremonial ritual. The wrestlers themselves are renowned for their great girth, as body mass is often a winning factor in sumo, though with skill, smaller wrestlers can topple far larger opponents.[