Terunofuji, who went kyujo on Day 3, will make a return on Day 11 to face Ishiura. The Kaiju’s initial doctors note only recommended a week off from competition due to symptoms of diabetes, which appear to be under control following medical intervention. In a statement to the press, Isegahama Oyakata reported that Terunofuji’s old knee injury was getting better and that his glucose levels were much lower after treatment. Despite his Oyakata’s optimism, it is obvious that Terunofuji is in no shape to be competing, and slogging through the last five days of competition could only serve to undo any healing that has taken place. While it’s good that Terunofuji’s health is apparently trending in the right direction, returning now could be just another step closer to the end of the Kaiju’s career.
Not good news. I suppose that if he was given a one week medical certificate he was expected to return when it expired. The awful thought occurs that Terunofuji and his oyakata just know that he is not going to get any better and that no amount of rest is going to solve the problem.
But if they both know that, why doesn’t he retire? There is no point in wrestling through pain if you know you’re only lose anyway.
I personally think that Terunofuji has some mental demons to contend with. I think it has been wise of Isegahama oyakata to decide not to run for the NSK board again this time. His heya is in shambles. The only ones who look like rikishi in it are Takarafuji and Terutsuyoshi. He should stay at home and put everybody back on track – or have them cleanly and respectably retire.
I take your point. It’s possible though, that a wrestler who knows that he is on his way out of the sport might want to make the most of every chance he has to get out there and fight. It’s not a sensible or logical approach but young men are not known for their calm and sober analysis of a situation; fighters even less so.
This is heartbreaking — I have enjoyed his sumo, but a bling person could see he’s hurting and needs time to heal.
The question is how much truth is there in the statement that his knees are good to go.
If it’s just the diabetes issue, he should be in the basho and work. Rest is not going to help him, just keep him out of shape.
If the knees are not mended, he should mend them.
And in either case, he should go on a serious diet. Yesterday.
I’m sure it’s against the rules to send Terunofuji off to a rehab center in Hawaii, where he would get the full on Kardashian treatment for a month. After all those juice cleanses, low carb paleo meals, IV infusions and stem cell injections into his knees, he’ll return looking like a whole new Mongolian at 165 kg.
Cause this slow incremental march towards misery isn’t getting results.
Right now I’m reading in the Japanese papers that it’s actually against the rules for all rikishi to leave Japan at the moment. Because of the recent scandals they are being held under “soft house arrest”. Even requests to return to own country for medical attention are being rejected.
Terunofuji should not return and destroy his knees,he needs rest and therapy,I hate to see him do this to himself!