Ōshōma Degi (Japanese: 欧勝馬 出気) born 9 April 1997 as Pürevsürengiin Delgerbayar (Mongolian: Пүрэвсүрэнгийн Дэлгэрбаяр) is a Mongolian professional sumo wrestler from Töv Province. Wrestling for Naruto stable, he made his professional debut in November 2021, and became sekitori when he reached the jūryō division in July 2022.
| Ōshōma Degi | |
|---|---|
| 欧勝馬 出気 | |
 Degi in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Pürevsürengiin Delgerbayar April 9, 1997 Töv Province  Mongolia |
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 159 kg (351 lb; 25.0 st) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Naruto |
| University | Nippon Sport Science University |
| Current rank | see below |
| Debut | November, 2021 |
| Highest rank | Maegashira 4 (November 2024) |
| Championships | 2 (Jūryō, Makushita) |
| Special Prizes | Fighting Spirit (1) |
| * Up to date as of 26 November 2023. | |
Early life and sumo background
editŌshōma was born among the nomadic populations of Mongolia. As a child, he grew up riding horses and taking care of sheep.[1] Ōshōma began wrestling at the age of 14 and at the age of 16, with the help of Yokozuna Asashōryū, he came in Japan at NSSU Kashiwa High School in Chiba prefecture along future ōzeki Hōshōryū.[2] There, he won the National High School Championships.[1] He then enrolled at Nippon Sport Science University and joined the university's sumo club. Between his second and third year, he won many tournaments including the National University Championships in Towada and the National Student Championships (openweight division); the National University Championships in Usa, the All-Japan University Championships and the National Student Championships in Kanazawa. In his fourth year, he became "student yokozuna" at the National Student Championships in Towada.[2] That last championship granted him the makushita tsukedashi status. Upon graduation from college he decided to turn pro and joined Naruto stable because its master, former ōzeki Kotoōshū, mentored him since his college days[1] as training at a sumo stable is mandatory for foreign-born wrestlers to undergo the new apprentice examination.[3]
Career
editEarly career
editHe made his professional debut in September 2021 and was given the shikona, or ring name, "Ōshōma" (欧勝馬) to evoke both his master, with the kanji for Europe (欧), his hopes for success, with the kanji for victory (勝) and his nomadic past with the kanji meaning horse (馬).[1] His shikona first name "Degi" (出喜) was chosen with the kanji for 'move away' (出) as it is phonetically reminiscent of part of his original first name: Delgerbayar.[4]
His makushita tsukedashi allowed him to make his debut at the rank of makushita 15. Ōshōma however had to leave his stable as he lost his father in August 2021. Subsequently, and despite being officially listed as a wrestler, Ōshōma was granted a reprieve to attend his father's funeral and was listed as banzukegai in September 2021.[1] Ōshōma shared the same recruit examination session as Kinbōzan, who began his career with the sandanme tsukedashi system.[5] In May 2022, Ōshōma won the makushita championship with a prefect 7–0 record at the rank of makushita 8 with a win on Kitaharima on the last day.[6] He was promoted to jūryō for the following July 2022 tournament, thus becoming the first sekitori raised by Kotoōshū.[1]
During his jūryō debut Ōshōma had to withdraw from Day 8 of the July 2022 tournament after a COVID outbreak at Naruto stable and in September he broke his thumb during his first match.[7] In November 2022, during his third tournament in jūryō, Ōshōma defeated Daiamami in a playoff on the final day to claim the jūryō championship.[2] In December of the same year, he injured his shoulders during a training session. He subsequently performed poorly for half of 2023, citing recurrences of pain as a factor in his lack of performance.[8] During his training, he often asked for advice from upper-division wrestler and makuuchi veteran Tamawashi, who's also from Mongolia.[8]
In preparation for the September 2023 tournament, he changed the spelling of his shikona first name from 出喜 to 出気, with the same pronunciation, to use the kanji meaning 'energy' (気) to ward off his recent injuries which were penalizing him in his wrestling.[4]
During the March 2024 tournament, Ōshōma (then at the rank of jūryō 4) recorded a tenth victory over Asakōryū on Day 14, creating speculation in the press about a potential promotion to sumo's top division for the first time.[9]
Makuuchi promotion
editŌshōma's promotion to makuuchi was made official with the unveiling of the May 2024 tournament banzuke. At the press conference at his stable, Ōshōma expressed his regret at having taken 2 years to reach this level of competition after a professional debut marked by injuries.[10] His promotion to makuuchi, however, makes Ōshōma the twenty-ninth Mongolian wrestler to reach the division for the first time, the latest being Mitoryū in 2022.[11]
Career record
edit| Year | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo |
March Haru basho, Osaka |
May Natsu basho, Tokyo |
July Nagoya basho, Nagoya |
September Aki basho, Tokyo |
November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | x | x | x | x | (Banzukegai) | Makushita tsukedashi #15 4–3 |
| 2022 | East Makushita #12 5–2 |
West Makushita #4 3–4 |
East Makushita #8 7–0 Champion |
East Jūryō #13 5–3–7[13] |
East Jūryō #13 8–7 |
West Jūryō #12 11–4–P Champion |
| 2023 | West Jūryō #3 7–8 |
West Jūryō #4 8–7 |
East Jūryō #4 7–8 |
East Jūryō #4 7–8 |
East Jūryō #4 8–7 |
West Jūryō #3 6–9 |
| 2024 | West Jūryō #5 8–7 |
West Jūryō #4 11–4 |
West Maegashira #14 10–5 F |
East Maegashira #9 7–8 |
West Maegashira #9 10–5 |
West Maegashira #4 – |
| Record given as wins–losses–absences Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) |
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f "新十両 欧勝馬「目指すは師匠の番付、大関」 天国の父に活躍誓う 大相撲名古屋場所を前に". NHK (in Japanese). 8 July 2022. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ a b c "欧勝馬が十両優勝「上でも優勝できるように頑張りたい」幕下、十両を制して次の夢は幕内V". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 27 November 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "学生横綱デルゲルバヤル、鳴戸部屋で角界イロハ研修". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 23 December 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ a b "新入幕狙う十両・欧勝馬が２勝目 今場所から下のしこ名を「出喜→出気」に改名「元気が出るように」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 12 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "デルゲルバヤルら５人合格 秋場所新弟子検査". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 12 September 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "幕下は欧勝馬が初Ｖ「昨日の夜から緊張」北播磨と全勝対決の激しい攻防、最後は掛け投げで制す". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 20 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "大相撲九州場所で十両初優勝の欧勝馬「唐津の応援に感謝」". NHK (in Japanese). 1 December 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ a b "十両の欧勝馬、新入幕を目指して若い衆と21番「２桁狙って幕内にいきたい」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 30 June 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "欧勝馬が十両4枚目で10勝目 新入幕へ大前進「あと一番しっかり」". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "新入幕の欧勝馬が対戦を心待ちにするのは同便来日の高校同級生に大学後輩「当たりたい」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ "【夏場所番付発表】欧勝馬が新入幕！元琴欧洲の鳴戸部屋から初 時疾風は宮城県出身27年ぶりの新入幕". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ "Oshoma Degi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
- ^ Withdrew on Day 8 due to COVID protocols
External links
edit- Ōshōma Degi's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage