表題番号：2008B-254
日付：2013/04/29
研究課題ヨーロッパにおけるアマチュア相撲の普及
| 研究者所属（当時） | 資格 | 氏名 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| （代表者） | スポーツ科学学術院 | 教授 | トンプソン リー Ａ |
- 研究成果概要
- In recent years, the number of Europeans in the upper ranks of professional sumo (大相撲) has increased. This is in part due to the efforts of the Japan Sumo Federation (日本相撲連盟), the body administering amateur sumo in Japan, to propagate the sport overseas, with the ultimate aim of establishing sumo as an Olympic sport. The purpose of this research project was to investigate the current status of amateur sumo in Europe.
The First Women's Sumo Junior World Championships, the 9th Men's Junior World Sumo Championships, the 7th Women's World Sumo Championships, and the 16th Men's World Sumo Championships were held in Rakvere, Estonia, October 9 - 12, 2008. There were almost 300 participants from 30 countries. I attended the championships, took video and photos of the competition, attended related receptions and meetings, and talked with some of the organizers, participants, and leaders of the national sumo organizations.
On the Canary Islands, off the West African coast but administered by Spain, there is an indigenous form of wrestling that is very similar to sumo, called Lucha Canaria, or Canarian wrestling. The Spanish exhibit at the 2005 Aichi Expo in Japan featured Lucha Canaria. It is different from Japanese sumo in that there is no tachiai―the wrestlers start their match in a tied-up stance―and the ring is much larger than the dohyô, and it is rare for competitors to go out of bounds. The sport is even closer to Korean sillum, and amateur Korean sillum wrestlers have visited the Canary Islands for cultural exchanges.
In November of 2008 I visited the island of Gran Canaria to observe Lucha Canaria. The sport is highly organized with regular matches year-round. Most municipalities field a team. I attended a match in the municipality of Playa Arinaga, at a modern facility built specifically for the sport, the Terrero Municipal de Lucha Canaria. Playa Arinaga hosted a team from the nearby municipality of Telde. There were two team competitions, one for juniors and one for seniors. I took videos and photos of the competitions, and interviewed the former president of the Playa Arinaga club, as well as some of the athletes and their families.
A few days earlier there was also an exhibition of Lucha Canaria in the lounge of one of the tourist hotels, with five junior competitors from the Playa Arinaga team. I took video and photos of this exhibition as well, where the young athletes also interacted with the spectators.