Rōga Tokiyoshi

Rōga Tokiyoshi (Japanese: 狼雅 外喜義, born 2 March 1999 as Amartuvshin Amarsanaa (Russian: Амартүвшин Амарсанаа) is a Russian professional sumo wrestler from Kyzyl, Tuva. Wrestling for the Futagoyama stable, he made his professional debut in September 2018, and became sekitori when he reached the jūryō division in November 2022. As of 2023, he is the only Russian competing in professional sumo.[1][2]

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Rōga.
Rōga Tokiyoshi
狼雅 外喜義
Rōga in November 2022
Personal information
BornAmartuvshin Amarsanaa
(1999-03-02) March 2, 1999
Kyzyl, Tuva
Russia Russia
Height1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Weight143 kg (315 lb; 22.5 st)
Career
StableFutagoyama
Current ranksee below
DebutSeptember 2018
Highest rankJūryō 4 (May, 2023)
Championships2 (Jonidan, Jonokuchi)
* Up to date as of 6 May 2023.

Early life and sumo background

Rōga was born to a Mongolian father and a Tuvan and Russian mother. He grew up in Kyzyl, Tuva (Russia), a region near the border of Mongolia. As a kid he practiced sambo wrestling and judo.[3] He moved to Mongolia at the age of 14 and obtained the Mongolian nationality at the age of 15.[4] The adoption of Mongolian nationality has been the source of confusion since his professional entry, with Rōga first listed as Mongolian on the Japan Sumo Association website although he himself insists that he is Russian.[3][2]

When he was 15, he travelled to Japan to participate in the 2014 Hakuhō Cup. He placed 8th in the individual junior high school division,[5] so Yokozuna Hakuhō recommended him to enroll at Tottori Jōhoku High School's sumo club. In his third year, he defeated Mongolian delegation wrestler Hōshōryū at the Inter-High School Championships to become the first foreign-born high school yokozuna.[3][4] Since then he has regularly announced his intention to close the ranking gap between himself and Hōshōryū, the latter having entered professional sumo before Rōga.[6][7] After graduation, he was recruited into Futagoyama stable in September 2018 under a business visa.[4]

Career

Rōga received his shikona, or ring name, because it is a combination of the first kanji (雅) from his master's name (former ōzeki Miyabiyama) and "wolf" (狼), a symbol of strength coming from his Mongolian roots.[8] Rōga made a strong debut as he won all seven matches in his first tournament to claim the jonokuchi championship. In the following tournament, remained undefeated and scored a victory against former ōzeki Terunofuji, who just made his return in competition, in a playoff to win the jonidan championship.[6] In the following tournament he scored a 5–2 record and was promoted to the makushita division. With four consecutive 5-2 records, he was promoted tp makushita 8 and was close to a jūryō promotion. However, due to injury, he achieved mixed results at the top makushita ranks.[7] In March 2022, he changed his shikona first name "Chikara" to the surname "Tokiyoshi".[9] In September 2022, while ranked at the top of makushita, Rōga ended the tournament with a 4–3 record and secured a jūryō promotion along Tsushimanada for the Kyūshū tournament of November.[10] Rōga became the first sekitori from Futagoyama stable since its establishment in 2018 and the first Russian wrestler to be promoted to jūryō since Amūru in 2012.[11] Since his promotion he has secured winning records, reaching the rank of juryō 4 for the May 2023 tournament.

Career record
Rōga Tokiyoshi[12]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2018 x x x x (Banzukegai) (Maezumo)
2019 East Jonokuchi #23
7–0
Champion
 		 West Jonidan #15
7–0–P
Champion
 		 East Sandanme #22
5–2
 		 West Makushita #43
5–2
 		 East Makushita #28
5–2
 		 East Makushita #17
5–2
 
2020 East Makushita #17
5–2
 		 East Makushita #8
2–5
 		 West Makushita #16
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 West Makushita #16
2–5
 		 West Makushita #30
6–1
 		 West Makushita #12
6–1
 
2021 West Makushita #2
3–4
 		 East Makushita #6
4–3
 		 East Makushita #3
2–5
 		 West Makushita #10
4–3
 		 West Makushita #6
3–4
 		 East Makushita #13
5–2
 
2022 East Makushita #7
3–4
 		 East Makushita #12
6–1
 		 East Makushita #4
4–3
 		 East Makushita #2
4–3
 		 West Makushita #1
4–3
 		 West Jūryō #13
9–6
 
2023 East Jūryō #9
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #5
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #4
–
 		 x x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

References
  1. "List of rikishi from Russia". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  2. Gunning, John (12 March 2020). "Roho's career defined by unsavory incidents". Japan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  3. "Jonokuchi winner Roga confesses: 'I'm Russian'". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  4. "First foreign-born high school yokozuna Amartubhsin Amarsanar and five others pass new apprentice inspection physique standards". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 4 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  5. "Roga: "It took a little time", new juryo four years after his initiation, finally blossoming after overcoming the pressure of being a high school-yokozuna". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 28 September 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  6. "Roga: 'I was terribly nervous' after beating high school senior Terunofuji to win the jonidan title". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 24 March 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  7. "New juryo Roga: 'I had many chances to score, but I was weak. I'm happy to have been promoted", motivated". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 28 September 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  8. "First ever foreign-born high school yokozuna Amarsanar makes his debut, his four-way name is 'Roga'". Abema Times (in Japanese). 24 October 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  9. "[New ranking list for spring tournaments] Roga Chikara becomes Roga Tokiyoshi, Tanji Taiga changed his name to Taiga Koji". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 28 February 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  10. "Roga and Tsushimanada to be promoted to juryo; Fujiibuki and 13 others to announce their retirements - Kyushu tournament banzuke formation meeting". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 28 September 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  11. "Russian-born Roga sure to be promoted juryo: 'I want to wrestle my own sumo one more time' / Autumn tournaments". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). 21 September 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  12. "Rōga Chikara Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
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