Sumo tournament opens in Paris for first time since 1995

A two-day sumo tournament opened in Paris on Saturday, the first such event in the French capital since 1995. The competition took place at a venue used for gymnastics and other sports during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. A sumo ring was installed for the matches, and banners displaying wrestler names were placed at the entrance.

Preparation and lead-up events Organizers held preliminary sumo demonstrations in Paris ahead of the tournament. The event follows a similar exhibition staged in London in October. David Rothschild, the chief organizer, said he visited the 1995 tournament and spent roughly ten years arranging the current event, including multiple trips to Japan over the past 18 months.

Opening day matches and ceremonies Wrestlers performed the ring-entering ceremony and bow-twirling ritual on the first day. Matches included bouts between maegashira-ranked competitors and higher-ranked wrestlers. Yokozuna Onosato said he hoped the Paris event would encourage attendance at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Japan.

Wrestlers also appeared at a news conference at the Japanese cultural center alongside event co-organizers and a representative of the Paris Entertainment Company.