Sumo Star Anseikin Loses Again, Fans Worry About Ankle
Listen to the story
Anseikin is a top sumo wrestler in Japan. He has the rank of ozeki. He wanted to win the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament again. But he lost two matches in a row.
In his last match, another wrestler named Gonoyama pushed him down easily. People said Anseikin lost because of weak pressure.
After the match, fans saw Anseikin touch his left ankle. Many fans are worried about him now. One fan said he has "no fighting spirit" in his sumo.
The head of the Japan Sumo Association, Hakkaku, also spoke about Anseikin. He said Anseikin's tachi-ai was weak. He said this is because Anseikin has not practiced enough.
Hakkaku also praised Gonoyama. He said Gonoyama's sumo was very strong and good.
Vocabulary15 words
- sumo
- a Japanese sport where two big men try to push each other out of a circle
- ozeki
- a very high rank for a sumo wrestler
- pressure
- strong force pushing forward
- tachi-ai
- the first strong push when a sumo match starts
- tournament
- a sports event with many matches
- rank
- a wrestler's level or position
- fans
- people who like and support someone
- practice
- doing something many times to get better
- association
- a group that manages a sport
- defeat
- a loss in a game or match
- spirit
- strong feeling to keep trying
- circle
- a round shape
- ankle
- the part of the leg near the foot
- praised
- said good things about someone
- worried
- feeling afraid something bad will happen
Quiz
Answer key
1. Ozeki 2. Touch his left ankle 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Anseikin is a top sumo wrestler in Japan. He has the rank of _____. He wanted to win the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament again. But he lost two matches in a row.
In his last match, another wrestler named Gonoyama pushed him down easily. People said Anseikin lost because of weak _____.
After the match, fans saw Anseikin touch his left _____. Many fans are worried about him now. One fan said he has "no fighting spirit" in his sumo.
The head of the Japan Sumo Association, Hakkaku, also spoke about Anseikin. He said Anseikin's _____ was weak. He said this is because Anseikin has not _____ enough.
Hakkaku also _____ Gonoyama. He said Gonoyama's sumo was very strong and good.