Sumo wrestler Hiyori Kon brings sport to Argentina, fights for women’s place in the ring

When opportunities for female sumo wrestlers were scarce in Japan, Hiyori Kon decided to bring her country’s sport to as far as Argentina.

While promoting the ancient Japanese sport in the South American country, Hiyori has battled for gender equality in the male-centric sport, which she hopes will one day become an Olympic event.

In Japan, it’s said the sumo ring is the dwelling of the gods. The dohyo, as it’s known, is also a space in which women have long been deemed too “impure” to enter.

But 26-year-old Hiyori Kon was born to be a warrior.

The dohyo is her realm – the place where she reigns supreme, where she feels totally herself.

It could also be the scene of her greatest victory or her most crushing defeat.

She wants to win, for the first time, the Sumo World Championships, the biggest tournament in female sumo.

Hiyori is the hometown favourite. The sounds of young boys and girls cheering her name fill the stadium as she steps into the ring for the final bout.

But standing in the way of glory and gold is a larger and more experienced opponent, Ukrainian Ivanna Berezovska.

If Hiyori is feeling the pressure, she’s not showing it.

“Never nervous,” she says with a smile.

“I’m ready to become a hero.”

Sumo may be Japan’s most iconic sport, but it’s a sport ruled by deep, “male-centric” conservative traditions that leave women with little opportunity.

Unlike Australia, where recent on-field success in AFLW, cricket or soccer has ignited interest in women’s sport, women’s sumo in Japan remains of “little value”.

“I don’t think the government and many companies or universities recognise it,” Hiyori says.

Hiyori has led a campaign for respect and recognition, garnering national and international media attention.

But years of advocacy, training, competing, and working a full-time day job have left her exhausted. She’s taking a long break and this could be her last Sumo World Championship.

For now, her focus is on what’s right in front of her.

In a few moments, Hiyori’s fists will touch the ground, marking the start of the bout, and she will charge at her opponent.

It’s an unforgiving sport.

Victory in the sumo ring, or dohyo, will be determined in seconds.

“When I see my opponent in the dohyo, I can feel how much the person has trained and how confident the person is,” she says.

“There are times when I’m afraid of my opponent’s power, or when I want to give up the fight and run away, but in those moments I believe in what I’ve been doing.

“I think about how to win definitely. I repeat it over and over again in detail and visualise it.”

Before she even entered the dohyo, Hiyori had to wage many battles — against misogyny, tradition, and economic hardship.

Every step of Hiyori’s young life has led to this moment.

The rules of sumo are simple. Only the soles of your feet are allowed to touch the ground. If you force your opponent to buckle or toss them out of the ring, you win.

“Sumo is really a match of mind, technique, and body in a split second,” Hiyori explains.

Sumo participation rates among young people are dropping, and clubs are closing.

Kids these days simply view soccer, baseball and even rugby as cooler, while parents fret over the safety of sumo.

The iconic sumo stables, where wrestlers live and train, are finding it harder and harder to adopt new apprentices.

Last year’s intake on the national scale was so low, Japanese media branded it the “worst” recruitment season.

“Any sport needs support and without that support, the number of athletes doesn’t grow,” Hiyori says.

“On the other hand, when the number of athletes doesn’t increase it’s difficult to get support.

“I think the sumo world is in this spiral right now and I hope it can get out of that spiral somehow.” - Agencies