Is Sumo Only For Men? Japan's Female Wrestlers Take On International Tournament | Sports Documentary

At just 18, Tokyo resident Sakura Ishii has emerged as one of the top female Sumo practitioners in her country. This year, she has her eyes set on global domination at the World Combat Games in Saudi Arabia. As she faces off against competitors from across the world, she struggles to imagine a future in the sport. Japan’s powerful Sumo Association stands opposed to women being recognized as professional athletes, leaving champions like Sakura to chart their own path to success, against all odds. In the coastal Japanese town of Tottori, young girls practise Sumo at a summer camp. Inspired by the example of Sakura and others like her, more and more Japanese girls are drawn to the sport. Blissfully unaware of the national debate that rages outside their Sumo camp, questioning whether women should be part of Japan’s oldest and most hallowed sport, these young girls are determined to be champions of the future. 00:00 Introduction 01:44 Sakura Ishii, one of Japan's top female sumo wrestlers 05:09 A pro wrestler's assessment of Sakura's potential 09:13 Sumo summer camp exclusively for girls 12:25 Maintaining competition weight and their diet 15:04 "Are women allowed to do sumo?" 19:40 Testing their skills in a national tournament 24:33 Women: still unwelcome in Japanese professional sumo culture? 28:16 Records of female sumo wrestlers throughout Japanese history 30:40 What do young female wrestlers wish for? 33:59 On the way to the World Combat Games 37:28 Sakura's first opponent 42:00 Will Sakura win the tournament? ========= #CNAInsider #HeavyweightCNA #Japan #Sumo #Wrestling #Documentary #Tokyo #Sports #Female #Culture For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER Follow CNA INSIDER on: Instagram:   / cnainsider   Facebook:   / cnainsider   Website: