[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - Ukrainian article on Shishi

[Jeff A]

Moti


Best regards,
Gaijingai

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these:
It might have been.
- John Greenleaf Whittier

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Moti Dichne <niramiai at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 1, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Subject: [Sumo news] - Ukrainian article on Shishi
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


In Ukraine, interest is growing in the background of Makuuchi  Shishi, who
played a key role in the yusho race at the July Nagoya Basho. At the Nagoya
tournament, Sekiwake Aonishiki , also from Ukraine, won his third
championship. Shishi started with six consecutive wins and at one point was
the sole leader in the yusho race, but ultimately finished the tournament
with a record of 10 wins and 5 losses. Ukrainian media outlet "Sport.ua"
featured Shishi as "the first Ukrainian rikishi—a warm-hearted giant, a man
whose ancestors were warriors of the Makhno army."
The article introduced his family history, stating, "Sokolovsky Sergey
(Shishi) is from Melitopol <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melitopol>
in the Zaporizhzhia
region <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaporizhzhia_Oblast>. According to
his mother, his fighting spirit and strong mental fortitude were inherited
from his father's side of the family. One of his ancestors was a strong
soldier who fought in the army led by Ukrainian revolutionary Nestor Makhno
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestor_Makhno>. However, everything else was
built up through his own efforts." "Melitopol is a town known for its sweet
cherries, and it was there that Sergey began freestyle wrestling. Blessed
with a strong physique, he caught the eye of a local soccer club coach and
was even invited to join as a goalkeeper. However, he had a strong desire
to pursue combat sports, and ultimately decided to focus solely on
wrestling," the article explained, describing his athletic background.
Furthermore, "Sergey's body grew at an astonishing speed, and by the time
he was 15, he had exceeded the weight limit for the heaviest weight class
(125 kg) in wrestling. So he chose sumo as a new sport.
He quickly showed talent in sumo, becoming the European champion in 2012.
In 2016, he stood on the podium in both individual and team events at the
World Championships and the European Championships, and in 2018, he won
silver and bronze medals in the heavyweight and open weight classes at the
US Open, making his name even more widely known," the article reported,
describing his blossoming talent as a rikishi. After that, he came to Japan
and joined the then Irumagawa beya, making his debut in the spring
tournament of 2020. In the 2024 Kyushu Basho, he became the first rikishi
from Ukraine to be promoted to Makuuchi. Based on his performance in the
last tournament, the media outlet concluded,
"Shishi's future is bright. Since the beginning of this year, he has become
fluent in Japanese and can now give interviews without an interpreter. He
has now completely blended into life in Japan and is truly comfortable in
the 'Land of the Rising Sun'." Shishi's background, as he is active in
Japan, is attracting attention in his home country as well.

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