Photo/Illutration A professional sumo wrestler must be at least 167 centimeters tall and weigh 67 kilograms or more. The photo shows a recruitment test that was held in Osaka in February 2015. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

With the ranks of prospective sumo wrestlers thinning out, the Japan Sumo Association is beefing up recruitment by dropping the height and weight requirements from its recruitment test. 

Currently, a professional sumo wrestler must be at least 167 centimeters tall and weigh 67 kilograms or more.

Under the new rules announced on Sept. 28, applicants who don’t meet these standards can still be a rikishi if they pass the physical fitness test.

The change comes as the traditional sport struggles to secure young men partly due to the declining birthrate in the country.

In the screening before the spring tournament, the number of new applicants continued to plummet from a peak of 160 in 1992 to 34 this year, which is tied for the lowest on record. 

The recruiting tests are held six times a year ahead of each tournament. The test before the spring tournament usually draws the largest number of applicants as it coincides with the graduation season.

Related News