Aonishiki: Ukraine’s First Grand Sumō Tournament Champion

A Historic Feat

On November 23, Ukrainian wrestler Aonishiki sealed victory in the Kyūshū Grand Sumō Tournament. He came to Japan three and a half years ago following the Russian invasion of his country, and has now achieved a historic feat as the first wrestler from Ukraine to win a professional sumō tournament.

Aonishiki was born as Danylo Yavhusishyn in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, on March 23, 2004. At 21 years old, he stands 182 centimeters high and weighs 140 kilograms. The “ao” in his ring name means “blue,” in a reference to the Ukrainian flag, while the whole name is a variation on that of his master Aminishiki.

He started sumō in Ukraine when he was seven years old, finishing third at the World Junior Sumō Championships in 2019. He also has a background in wrestling.

Following the Russian invasion, Aonishiki traveled via Germany to Japan. In the spring of 2022, he began training at Kansai University. In December of the same year, he joined the Ajigawa stable as a trainee, and he took the new apprentice examination in 2023, making his professional debut at the Autumn Tournament in September.

Ukraine is the fourth European country to produce a tournament-winning rikishi after Bulgaria, Estonia, and Georgia. Aonishiki is set to become the first wrestler from Ukraine to win promotion to the second-highest ōzeki ranking.

Aonishiki (third from left in the back row) appears in a commemorative photo with Ukrainian competitors in the Hakuhō Cup for elementary and junior high school students at the Ryōgoku Sumō Hall in Tokyo on February 11, 2025. (© Kyōdō)

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Aonishiki, at right, at the Grand Sumō Tournament victory parade at Fukuoka Kokusai Center on November 23, 2025. © Jiji.)