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Sumo was introduced as an official World Games sport at the 2005 World Games in Duisburg. It had previously appeared as an invitational sport at the 2001 World Games in Akita.
Sumo was removed from the World Games program for 2025 due to issues during competition at the 2022 World Games. [1] [2] [3] [4]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Russia (RUS) | 13 | 10 | 8 | 31 |
| 2 |  Japan (JPN) | 11 | 11 | 10 | 32 |
| 3 |  Ukraine (UKR) | 9 | 9 | 6 | 24 |
| 4 |  Mongolia (MGL) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 5 |  Egypt (EGY) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 |  Germany (GER) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 |  Estonia (EST) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Hungary (HUN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 |  Brazil (BRA) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 |  Poland (POL) | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 |  United States (USA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 |  Thailand (THA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Venezuela (VEN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (13 entries) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 120 | |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | Chohei Kimura (JPN) | Peer Schmidt-Düwiger (GER) | Lodoijamtsyn Bat-Erdene (MGL) |
| 2005 Duisburg | Vitaliy Tikhenko (UKR) | Igor Kurinnoy (RUS) | Yuya Hanada (JPN) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Sandor Bardosi (HUN) | Nachyn Mongush (RUS) | Gantugs Rentsendorj (MGL) |
| 2013 Cali | Tatsuma Kawaguchi (JPN) | Batyr Altyev (RUS) | Gantugs Rentsendorj (MGL) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Batyr Altyev (RUS) |  Trent Sabo (USA) | Pawel Wojda (POL) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Abdelrahman Elsefy (EGY) | Demid Karachenko (UKR) | Sviatoslav Semykras (UKR) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | Seietsu Hikage (JPN) | Altangadasyn Khüchitbaatar (MGL) | David Tsallagov (RUS) |
| 2005 Duisburg | Katsuo Yoshida (JPN) | Seietsu Hikage (JPN) | David Tsallagov (RUS) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Ryo Ito (JPN) | Katsuo Yoshida (JPN) | Kostiantyn Iermakov (UKR) |
| 2013 Cali | Oleksandr Gordienko (UKR) | Atsamaz Kaziev (RUS) | Usukhbayar Ochirkhuu (MGL) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Atsamaz Kaziev (RUS) | Misbah Hossam (EGY) | Usukhbayar Ochirkhuu (MGL) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Vazha Daiauri (UKR) | Shion Fujisawa (JPN) | Aron Rozum (POL) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | Jörg Brümmer (GER) | Jüri Uustalu (EST) | Takahisa Osanai (JPN) |
| 2005 Duisburg | Keisho Shimoda (JPN) | Takayuki Ichihara (JPN) | Robert Paczków (POL) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Takashi Himeno (JPN) | Naranbat Gankhuyag (MGL) | Alan Karaev (RUS) |
| 2013 Cali | Alan Karaev (RUS) | Vasiliy Margiev (RUS) | Mutoshi Matsunaga (JPN) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Vasiliy Margiev (RUS) | Ramy Belai (EGY) | Soichiro Kurokawa (JPN) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Hidetora Hanada (JPN) | Daiki Nakamura (JPN) | Rui Junior (BRA) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | Kenichi Yajima (JPN) | Torsten Scheibler (GER) |  Jaroslav Poříz (CZE) |
| 2005 Duisburg | Takayuki Ichihara (JPN) | Keisho Shimoda (JPN) | Seietsu Hikage (JPN) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Byambajav Ulambayaryn (MGL) | Mutoshi Matsunaga (JPN) | Takashi Himeno (JPN) |
| 2013 Cali | Naranbat Gankhuyag (MGL) | Yevhen Kozliatin (UKR) | Vasiliy Margiev (RUS) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Vasiliy Margiev (RUS) | Batyr Altyev (RUS) | Hayato Miwa (JPN) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Daiki Nakamura (JPN) | Badral Baasandorj (MGL) | Oleksandr Veresiuk (UKR) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | Astrid Lixenfeld (GER) | Satomi Ishigaya (JPN) | Natalia Bobkina (RUS) |
| 2005 Duisburg | Alina Boykova (UKR) | Yekaterina Salakhova (RUS) | Tamami Iwai (JPN) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Alina Boykova (UKR) | Selenge Enkhzaya (MGL) | Nelli Vorobyeva (RUS) |
| 2013 Cali | Yukina Iwamoto (JPN) | Luciana Montgomery Watanabe (BRA) | Vera Koval (RUS) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Svitlana Trosiuk (UKR) | Luciana Montgomery Higuchi (BRA) | Magdalena Macios (POL) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Yuka Okutomi (JPN) | Miku Yamanaka (JPN) | Magdalena Macios (POL) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | Olesya Kovalenko (RUS) | Rie Tsuihiji (JPN) | Sandra Köppen (GER) |
| 2005 Duisburg | Svetlana Panteleyeva (RUS) | Satomi Ishigaya (JPN) | Nicole Hehemann (GER) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Epp Mäe (EST) | Maryna Pryshchepa (UKR) | Asano Matsuura (JPN) |
| 2013 Cali | Maryna Pryshchepa (UKR) | Maryna Maksymenko (UKR) | Asano Matsuura (JPN) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Munkhtsetseg Otgon (MGL) | Asano Ota (JPN) | Maryna Maksymenko (UKR) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Sakura Ishii (JPN) | Karyna Kolesnik (UKR) | Monika Skiba (POL) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | None (Middleweight competed as +65 kg) | ||
| 2005 Duisburg | Sandra Köppen (GER) | Olesya Kovalenko (RUS) | Edyta Witkowska (POL) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Anna Zhigalova (RUS) | Olga Davydko (UKR) | Yekaterina Keyb (RUS) |
| 2013 Cali | Anna Zhigalova (RUS) | Olesya Kovalenko (RUS) | Maria Alejandra Cedeno Henriquez (VEN) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Anna Poliakova (RUS) | Olga Davydko (RUS) | Viparat Vituteerasan (THA) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Svitlana Yaromka (UKR) | Ivanna Berezovska (UKR) | Airi Hisano (JPN) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Akita (Demonstration) | None | ||
| 2005 Duisburg | Olesya Kovalenko (RUS) | Edyta Witkowska (POL) | Yekaterina Keyb (RUS) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | Anna Zhigalova (RUS) | Olga Davydko (UKR) | Edyta Witkowska-Popecka (POL) |
| 2013 Cali | Anna Zhigalova (RUS) | Janaina Fernanda Silva (BRA) | Svitlana Yaromka (UKR) |
| 2017 Wrocław | Anna Poliakova (RUS) | Ivanna Berezovska (UKR) | Olga Davydko (RUS) |
| 2022 Birmingham | Ivanna Berezovska (UKR) | Hiyori Kon (JPN) | Svitlana Yaromka (UKR) |
Sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (dohyō) or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet.
Sports in Japan are a significant part of Japanese culture. Traditional sports, such as sumo and martial arts, as well as Western imports like baseball, association football, basketball and tennis are popular with both participants and spectators.
A rikishi (力士), sumōtori (相撲取り) or, more colloquially, osumōsan (お相撲さん), is a sumo wrestler. Although used to define all wrestlers participating in sumo wrestling matches, the term is more commonly used to refer to professional wrestlers, employed by the Japan Sumo Association, who participate in professional sumo tournaments in Japan, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally.
The Japan Sumo Association, officially the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Japan Sumo Association ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling, called ōzumō (大相撲), in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
A yobidashi, often translated in English as "usher", "ring attendant", or "ring announcer", is an employee of the Japan Sumo Association, responsible for various tasks essential to the traditional running of professional sumo tournaments in Japan. The yobidashi are involved in building the dohyō or calling wrestlers to the ring when it is their turn to fight. They are also entrusted with other roles, both administrative and artistic, in the service of the stable to which they are attached.
Jigjidiin Mönkhbat was a Mongolian wrestler. Jigjidiin Mönkhbat is the 1968 Olympic vice-champion in the 87 kg.
A honbasho, or Grand Sumo Tournament in English, is an official professional sumo tournament. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi on the banzuke ranking. The number of honbasho held every year and their length has varied; since 1958 there are six tournaments held over 15 consecutive days in four locations every year. Since 1926 the honbasho are organized by the Japan Sumo Association, after the merger of the Tokyo and Osaka sumo associations.
Ryōgoku Kokugikan, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different indoor sporting arenas located in Tokyo. The first Ryōgoku Kokugikan opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the premises of the Ekōin temple in Ryōgoku, Tokyo. Although no sumo bouts were held after 1945, following the capitulation of Japan and the requisition of the building by the occupying forces, the building itself remained active until 1983, being notably used by the Nihon University. The second Ryōgoku Kokugikan is currently located in the Yokoami neighborhood of Sumida next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It opened in 1985, following the closure of the Kuramae Kokugikan, and is still in use today.
Sandra Köppen-Zuckschwerdt is a German judoka.
Kuramae Kokugikan was a building situated in the Kuramae neighborhood of Taitō, Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1954. Its construction was decided to replace the old bomb-damaged Ryōgoku Kokugikan. It closed its doors in 1984. The building was torn down and sporting events were transferred to the second Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The place is now the site of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Sewage.
Ulambayar Byambajav, known professionally as Byamba, was a Mongolian sumo wrestler and entertainer. He began his professional career in Japan in 2001 under the name Daishōchi Kenta; tiring of the lifestyle, he retired from professional sumo wrestling in 2005. As an amateur, he won the Sumo World Championships twice in 2006 and 2007 and was a gold medalist at the 2009 World Games and 2013 World Combat Games. He also appeared on the comedy show Impractical Jokers. He died after a protracted illness in a Los Angeles hospital in February 2020.
The Sumo World Championships is an amateur sumo competition organized by the International Sumo Federation. The men's competition started in 1992 and the women's competition started in 2001, with both competitions having been held together. The competitions are generally held every year, although the 2009 and 2011 events were cancelled due to the 2009 flu pandemic and political unrest over the Arab Spring respectively. The 24th edition, originally scheduled to take place in Russia in 2022, was rescheduled to be held in Tokyo in late 2023.
Professional sumo has had several controversies over its long history. These include proven allegations of match-fixing to hazing.
Terunofuji Haruo, is a Mongolian-Japanese professional sumo wrestler. Wrestling for the Isegahama stable, he entered professional sumo in January 2011 and took the second division jūryō championship in his debut as a sekitori in September 2013. He took the top makuuchi division championship in May 2015, only 25 tournaments after his professional debut, which is the third-fastest behind Asashōryū and Takanohana's 23 tournaments. This earned him promotion to sumo's second-highest rank of ōzeki.
The sumo competition at the 2022 World Games took place in July 2022, in Birmingham in United States, at the Boutwell Auditorium; the lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight events were held on July 9 and the openweight events were held on July 10.
John Gunning is an Irish sports journalist and sports commentator living and working in Japan. He is particularly known for his coverage of sumo, in which he previously competed at amateur level.
The 2025 World Games, commonly known as Chengdu 2025, is the 12th edition of the World Games, which includes sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. It is expected to be held from 7 to 17 August 2025 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. This is the first edition to be held under the guidelines set by the strategy paper "Growth Beyond Excellence", the third edition to be held in Asia, and the first time for the nation to host the World Games.
Hiroshi Morita, known professionally as Hiro Morita, is a Japanese English-language announcer for NHK and a presenter on Japan Sumo Association's English-language YouTube channel, Sumo Prime Time.
Abdelrahman Ehab Mohamed El-Sefy is an Egyptian sport wrestler who has competed in amateur sumo wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. As a sport wrestler, he competes in the 87 kg division of Greco-Roman wrestling. As an amateur sumo wrestler, he is a gold medalist at the World Games and a two-time bronze medalist at the Sumo World Championships.