British teenager makes professional sumo debut in Japan after remarkable journey

A British teenager has officially made his professional sumo debut in Japan after chasing a childhood dream inspired by watching the sport with his father.

Nicholas Tarasenko, 17, from Hull, stepped into the ring under the name Eisei on Sunday as he competed in maezumo at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

The towering teenager, who stands 1.87 metres tall and weighs 125kg, has become the first British-born wrestler to compete professionally in Japan for 36 years.

Despite only moving to Japan last year, Tarasenko earned the right to compete after passing the Japan Sumo Association's Japanese-language assessment before successfully completing the governing body's physical examination.

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Now that his professional journey is under way, the youngster has set his sights on reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

"I want to become a yokozuna one day and help more people in my home country learn about sumo," he said.

Tarasenko is the first British-born professional sumo wrestler since Hidenokuni, who competed in the late 1980s and reached the jonidan division.

His route into the sport has been anything but conventional.

Raised in Hull, Tarasenko developed a passion for sumo after regularly watching tournaments alongside his father.

A trip to Japan in 2024 proved life-changing.

While attending a tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, he visited Minato Stable through one of his father's acquaintances and personally asked stablemaster Minato for the opportunity to become a wrestler.

Each stable is permitted only one foreign-born wrestler, making opportunities extremely limited.

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However, after impressing coaches during a training spell, Tarasenko was accepted as a trainee.

Former top-division wrestler Minato, who now runs the stable, believes the teenager possesses the attributes needed to succeed.

"He still has a long way to go technically, but he has the strength and the motivation," he said. "He is definitely going to become strong."

One of Tarasenko's biggest challenges came away from the training hall.

Foreign recruits must demonstrate sufficient Japanese-language ability before being allowed to enter professional sumo.

After studying intensively with flashcards and language exercises, he passed the interview on his second attempt before clearing the association's entrance examination.

His willingness to embrace life in Japan also impressed those around him.

"He likes to talk, and that gradually helped him become able to speak Japanese," said Makoto Miura, the stablemaster's wife.

Although still at the beginning of his career, Tarasenko already has a clear idea of how he wants to fight.

"I want to use thrusts and pushes so my opponent can't grab my mawashi," he said.

"I want to wrestle my own brand of sumo."

Having now taken the first step into professional sumo, the British teenager will hope Sunday's debut marks the beginning of a remarkable journey in one of Japan's oldest sporting traditions.

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