Foreign athletes or those with foreign roots are making headlines these days. Sumo‘s only current Yokozuna (Grand Champion), Mongolian rikishi Asashoryu (24) equaled the record of six yusho (tournament victories) in a row, held by the legendary Taiho, when he won the aki basho (Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament) on Sunday. But to do so he had to beat a surprise challenger, young Bulgarian rikishi Kotoshu (22), who won 12 bouts in a row before dropping two and facing Asashoryu in a final-day playoff. The two are among a growing number of young non-Japanese rikishi at the top level in sumo.
• Also on Sunday, Nippon Ham Fighters’ young star Yuu Darvish became the first pitcher fresh out of high school in 39 years to win five games in his rookie season. The tall and handsome 19-year old Tohoku High School graduate has been closely watched since he pitched his school team to the final of the summer Koshien tournament last year, and was the No.1 draft pick for the Fighters. His first season as a pro got off to a late start after he was suspended for smoking during spring training (he’s still a minor) and a knee injury. An interesting fact is that the pitcher’s Iranian father Farusa (45), who spent his high school and university years in the US, is the owner of an English conversation school in Osaka, among several other businesses. He, along with several family members, friends and 50 students from his school, was in the crowd to witness his son’s latest win.
• On the showbiz front, talento Umemiya Anna (33) is romantically involved with Chunichi Dragons player Tatsunami Kazuyoshi (36), according to the weekly magazine Friday. While Umemiya is divorced with a daughter, Tatsunami is married with children, but is known in the baseball world as a ladies’ man and there were rumors that only his celebrity prevented his arrest in a rape case last year.