THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
November 26, 2025 at 17:16 JST
Aonishiki speaks with reporters on Nov. 26 after being promoted to ozeki. (Kensuke Suzuki)
Rising star Aonishiki was promoted to ozeki on Nov. 26, three days after winning the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, the first Ukrainian to ascend to the sport's second-highest rank.
Aonishiki, 21, and his stablemaster, Ajigawa, received officials from the Japan Sumo Association who informed them of the official promotion decided earlier in the day.
In accepting the notification, Aonishiki said he would strive to not embarrass the position of ozeki and make every effort to go even higher, to the top yokozuna rank.
Aonishiki arrived in Japan in April 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.
He entered the sumo world in the 2023 Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament and it took him only 14 tournaments to reach the ozeki rank.
That is the fastest record for those who started out from the lowest jonokuchi division since 1958 when the current schedule of six tournaments a year began.
Aonishiki becomes the ninth ozeki in the Reiwa Era, which began in 2019. He joins Kotozakura, 28, as the only current ozeki in the rankings.
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