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Mita (left) withstands an attack from Dairinzan (Photo by Masato Suzuki)
Former juryo wrestler Mita (24, from Futagoyama stable) made a winning return to the ring, now ranked West Makushita No. 21. On the second day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan, he faced East Makushita No. 21 Dairinzan (22, from Arashio stable). Mita took control with aggressive thrusting and won by pulling his opponent down. “I was nervous, but seeing my own name on the towel gave me strength,” he said, expressing gratitude to the crowd.
Mita, who was ranked East Juryo No. 3, injured his right knee on the second day of last November’s Kyushu Tournament. Diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, he withdrew from the third day onward and sat out both the January and Spring tournaments. When the rankings for the Summer Tournament were announced, he directly asked his stablemaster, former ozeki Miyabiyama, for permission to compete and received the green light.
“This time, my master told me it was okay to have a losing record, just to get a feel for things, so I felt at ease. I’m taking sumo exactly as I planned,” Mita said. After leaving the hospital around the New Year, his weight had dropped to 113 kilograms, but he has now recovered to around 130 kilograms. He has completed his rehabilitation and feels “almost 100 percent,” having practiced sufficiently before stepping onto the dohyo.
Shortly after Mita was forced to withdraw, his stablemaster shaved his head, saying, “I wanted to encourage him through actions, not words, and show that I’m fighting alongside him.” Reflecting on that gesture, Mita said, “I was shocked. It made me make up my mind and decide to give it everything.” His right knee is firmly taped, but his movement and fighting spirit are strong. “My goal is to finish all seven bouts without injury,” he said.
