Boody, a 20-year-old Egyptian whose real name is Abdelrahman Ahmed Shaalan, is the first professional sumo wrestler from the African continent, winning his debut bout in Osaka, Japan.
Africa’s first professional sumo wrestler made a victorious debut on Tuesday in Osaka, beating a fellow novice, as Japan’s ritualistic sport draws more and more foreign competitors.
Egyptian national Abdelrahman Ahmed Shaalan, 20, who goes by the ring name of “Osunaarashi”, meaning a great sand storm, defeated his Japanese opponent with an arm throw.
“It was very exciting,” he told reporters in Japanese after the contest.
Shaalan, who stands 189 centimeters (6-foot-2-inch) and weighs 145 kilogrammes (319 pounds), began sumo five years ago and won a bronze medal at the 2008 world junior sumo championships.
Match Video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah6ItM5lT4k[/youtube]
He passed the physical check in January to officially become a wrestler.
Foreign competitors are vital members of tradition-bound sumo, with many Mongolians dominating the top ranks for years.
Source: AFP
