Sumo World Championships Explained

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.[1] The 24th edition, originally scheduled to take place in Russia in 2022, was rescheduled to be held in Tokyo in late 2023.[2]

Weight classes

1992–2018

Weight class Men Women Jr. Men* Jr. Women*
Open Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted
Heavyweight ≥115 kg ≥80 kg ≥100 kg ≥75 kg
Middleweight 85−115 kg 65–80 kg 80–100 kg 60–75 kg
Lightweight <85 kg <65 kg <80 kg <60 kg

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Calling off Spring Basho would be right move for JSA. Gunning. John. John Gunning (journalist). 26 February 2020. The Japan Times. 26 February 2020.
  2. Web site: Tokyo takes over as host of 2023 Sumo World Championships. Gunning. John. 26 October 2022. Japan Times. 27 October 2022.