Greeting speech at 1st Junior Sumó World Championships of
Yushiiro Yagi, President of Japanese Olympic Committee
Message to the First Junior
Sumó World Championship
Congratulations on the opening of the First Junior Sumó World Championship in
such a grand scale. I warmly welcome all the participants and parties involved from
16 countries and regions.
Sumó has been fostered as a unique sport closely associated with the culture of
Japan. It is a martial art that respects the propriety and aims at building true
character through the training of mind, body, and skill.
At present, sumó, which is the cultural heritage and the national sport of our
country, has widely spread overseas and has planted its roots as a modern sports.
The sports community in Japan, myself included, are delighted at this remarkable
progress and hope sumó will be more prosperous than ever.
I hope that all participants in this championship will fully show the
fruit of everyday training, competing fairly and with their total strength. As well,
contributing to the international goodwill by forming friendly relations among fellow participants from different parts of the world.
I should like to close by extending my sincere gratitude to those who made the
opening of this championship possible and wish for the great success of this event.
Yushiiro Yagi
President
Japanese Olympic Committee
